Lionheart
by DizzyDG
Summary: AU. Set after the war. The war is done and Robb Stark rides north to Winterfell, his heart full not of glory but of grief. Lottie has her own grief to struggle with but a chance encounter could mark a fresh start for both of them. No one ever said it would be easy, no one had ever warned them it would be so hard. Only time can make things easier to bear. Rated M. Eventual Robb/OC.
1. I

**A/N: **Hello readers! This is a new story and a rather different one from the ones I usually write.

It is set _after _the war and is a Robb/OC story. It will be told in a mixture of flashbacks and present day (mostly present day). Like I say, it's different to what I usually like and I'm a bit wary about it. I haven't got loads of chapters saved up in advance so my updating won't be daily but I will try and put up a few chapters a week if I get a good response.

Hopefully people will think it's worth continuing on with!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing that you recognise from GRRM's wonderful creation. I only own the story and my interpretation of his awesome characters. I also own Lottie (hope you like her!)

I will let you get on and read the first chapter now.

I hope you like it. Thoughts or opinions would be very much appreciated!

:)

* * *

**I**

* * *

"_Stay here," he told her, getting up from his chair and grabbing his sword._

"_What is it?" she asked him fearfully, the shouts from outside trickling through the canvas._

"_Likely nothing. Just stay here alright?" he implored her._

"_Alright," she nodded, her doe eyes wide as she fixed them on him._

_He left then, pushing back the flap of the tent and stepping out into the night, the sun had not long set but the darkness already surrounded them. The pounding of hooves against the hard ground reached his ears and he heard men shouting to one another, friend or foe he didn't know. Northern voices were shouting in panic, calls to saddle up and arm being shouted down row after row of tents. He should have brought more men he thought to himself as he moved further away from his own tent. There were flickers of light now and he realised that the group of men charging through their once peaceful camp had torches. Before he could shout out a warning one had been thrown into a tent. He heard the screams of surprise as the thin canvas engulfed easily._

_Panic spread as quickly as the fire then as he shouted at his men to get organised. He needed the archers and he bellowed for them over and over as the riders began another circuit of the camp, more torches being hurled at the tents. More screams. Men were dying and all he could see was fire. The flames were engulfing everything, turning everything so quickly to nothing. _

"Make camp! Make camp for the night!" the order was being bellowed back down the line of soldiers.

Robb pulled on the reigns of his horse and pulled his mind away from the swirling flames of his memories. Nine days. Had it really been that long? He looked back then and saw the uncovered wagon that was carrying her being lowered carefully to the ground. He swallowed hard, catching his mother's worried gaze as he looked away from it. She had been looking at him like that since the moment he had fallen to his knees. He couldn't stand it.

He dismounted then and wandered as far from the men and his mother as he dared, knowing if he strayed too far they would come after him. A moment's peace seemed too much to ask now, they all tiptoed round him, talking in hushed voices in his presence and all fixing him with that look. Pity. He didn't want their pity. There was only one thing he wanted and not one of them could give him it. He found a smooth looking rock far away enough that all he could hear was the distant murmurings from the camp but close enough that they would see him in the setting sun. She had loved to watch the sun set. He rubbed his hands over his face then.

"_Why didn't you stay in the tent?!"_

* * *

Someone was behind her she knew it. Instead of turning round and calling for them to show themselves she kept walking, her head held high and her strides purposeful and confident. They weren't to know she had no idea where she was going. As far as they were concerned she always walked this way through the trees. For all they knew her home was just on the other side of the thicket of spruce. A twig cracked behind her and her heart almost burst from her chest. Somehow she managed to keep herself from screaming and continued on, her stride becoming slightly longer. Surely the woodland wouldn't last much longer? Surely she was almost at the Kings Road?

_Dead. That's all she could remember from what the messenger had told her. The letter had fluttered from her hand and landed on the floor, her eyes had stared out in front of her and then the whispers had grown steadily louder. "Lannister," they hissed, "she'll bring us all down if they find us with her." She barely registered the hands grabbing at her, shoving her towards the door. She was sure she had pleaded with them, at least shouted some kind of protest but they were many and she was one. "Why?" she remembered asking them that over and over as they cast her out into the rain. _

"_Wars over. Your husband is dead and so are the Lannister's," one of her old maids told her cruelly before the door slammed closed._

"_No," she whispered, "no, no, no!"_

Her name was the least of her troubles now as another twig cracked, this one sounded almost immediately behind her and tears were welling in her eyes before she could stop them. She could hear the ragged breathing of a man now. Was it one man? It sounded like more. Two? Three even? Gods how could she ever hope to fight them off? How was this even happening? Three weeks ago she had been a Lady with a household of her own and now she was here lost in some Gods forsaken woods with men bearing down on her who were no doubt no friends of hers.

A hand snatched around her upper arm then and she let out a bloodcurdling scream, wheeling around to face the man who had a hold of her. He towered over her, a nasty smile on his face, his smaller companion lurking behind him with a look of sheer delight on his face.

"My, my, we do have a pretty one here don't we," the man who had hold of her leered.

"Travelling all alone …" his companion said and she shuddered.

"Dangerous for a woman to be alone in such times," the first man said, drawing her closer.

"Especially a pretty one," the second added as she struggled against the man who held her.

In the next instant he had forced her to the floor and another scream left her mouth, her legs and arms coming up to fight against him as the second man came to grab at her arms, pinning them back behind her as the first man pressed her thighs down against the ground. He was pulling at her skirts then, gathering them higher and higher up her legs and she felt revulsion coursing through every part of her. Perhaps it would be easier if she didn't struggle. Perhaps if she let them do what they would with her they wouldn't kill her afterwards. Would it really matter if they did? What did she have left anyway?

"_Come now Charlotte, is that any way for a Lady to behave?"_

Gods why was she thinking about her mother now? Were things not bad enough?

* * *

She seemed frozen in fear as Robb pulled the man's lifeless body from her own. Her eyes were wide and scared as she looked up at him and she seemed to flinch away when they landed on the direwolf that was emblazed across his chest plate. A southern girl. No doubt she had once been allied with the Lannister's, or at least her family had been. He sighed. The war was over, it was supposed to be peace time and yet everyone was still suspicious of everyone else.

"_Is the war really over Robb?" she asked him as they walked through the gardens._

"_Of course it is, that's why I'm here," he turned to smile at her and her grip on his arm tightened. _

He shook his head. Now wasn't the time to think of her.

"My Lady?" he said tentatively.

"I …" the woman began, her voice choked with fear.

"It's alright my Lady," he assured her, "take my hand"

She hesitated as he outstretched his hand to help her up from the ground, her eyes still looked slightly panicked. He stared back at her evenly and he noted that he breathing seemed to ease and her stance relaxed slightly. She seemed to realise then exactly what he had saved her from as she recoiled back from the dead man he had pulled off her, her hands furiously tugging down her skirts that had been pushed up above her knees. It was only then that she turned her eyes back to him and took the hand that he still had outstretched to her.

"Do you have a name my Lady?" he asked her once he had pulled her to her feet.

"Lottie," she told him almost fearfully.

"And a house?" he persisted.

"Morvay," she said after a slight hesitation.

"My name is Robb," he told her in return and her eyes widened.

Lottie seemed to look from the sigil on his armour to his eyes and back again before her own eyes widened and she dropped into a low curtsey before him.

"Your Grace forgive me," she said quietly, her heart pounding.

"I do not think there is anything for me to forgive my Lady," he told her seriously.

Her eyes darted back up to him then and he saw the fear in them and frowned. The danger was passed, surely she knew that he wouldn't harm her? He could see from the way her eyes kept darting around that she was afraid of something though. Afraid of what? Him? Or what he represented?

"My Lady what are you so frightened of?" he asked her.

"_Oh Gods Robb I hate spiders! Please, just throw it outside!"_

"I shouldn't be here," Lottie gasped out, making to pass him.

"No you don't," he grabbed her back and she almost squeaked in panic.

"Please your Grace, just please let me go on my way … I don't mean you any harm," she pleaded.

"Any harm?" he repeated with a frown.

"My husband just did his duty … just like all the other men, please … he paid his price," she gabbled.

"Who was your husband?" he asked her then, his frown deepening.

"Ser Lyndon … Lyndon Lannister your Grace," she told him and understanding flooded him.

"The war's over," he told her firmly.

"But …" she began.

"No 'buts' my Lady, those who needed to be punished have been dealt with, there is no reason for me to harm you because of who you were married to," he said, shaking his head.

"_Lannister … I won't die for a Lannister bitch …"_

Lottie shook her head, that voice tormented her, just like so many others. Why couldn't they just leave her alone? They had driven her from her home, wasn't that enough? She turned her eyes back to the man who still had a hold of her arm then. Robb Stark. King in the North. Of all the men in all of Westeros that could have saved her it had to be him. It was just her luck to be found by the one man who had the most reason to despise the family she was part of.

"Come on," he said after a moment of searching her eyes, for what she didn't know.

"What are you going to do to me?" she whispered, her eyes wide and panicked again.

"I'm taking you back to camp where you can get cleaned up and have a good meal," he told her.

"No," she shook her head, "please … let me just get on my way"

"Do you know how many more men there are like them?" he asked her.

"I'll be fine," she said dismissively and he wanted to shake her.

_It was his mother's scream that did it, that had him running faster than he had ever run before. Her hands were clasped over her mouth as the faint sound of hooves finally disappeared into the night. The cowards had fled but this wasn't over, he knew that from his mother's stance. He didn't need to ask the question when he reached her side, his eyes finding what hers had already seen. He was denying it even before he knelt down. He was still denying it as his mother's sobs reached his ears. He denied it over and over as he reached his hand out and turned her onto her back. His eyes found hers but he was the only one who could see. _

"You're coming with me," Robb almost growled, blinking back the persistent image.

"I'm going south," she said stubbornly, "you're not"

"No I'm not," he snarled, "I'm going north to deliver my wife back to her family"

"Your Grace …" she said uncertainly, his eyes had flashed with a pain that stabbed at her own heart.

"I won't be responsible for the death of another young woman, you're coming with me," he said with finality and she nodded her agreement.

* * *

They walked back the camp in silence and Robb ignored the questioning looks that some of his men threw his way when they saw him being trailed by a young woman. He knew what some of them would be thinking at it made him angry – surely they knew him better than that? He thought of Jeyne then despite himself. Gods, how long had it been since he had thought of her? Maybe it wouldn't be so difficult for his men to think the worst of him.

When he reached his tent he pulled back the canvas of the entrance and gestured for Lottie to go in ahead of him. She hesitated for a moment but then did as he bid her, glancing round at the simplicity of the King's tent. Had she not known she would never have guessed it usually housed royalty. She looked back at him then and saw he was looking at her but she was unable to read the intentions in his gaze. That made her uneasy, usually she was able to easily read people, or at the very least pick up on something. She got nothing from the King in the North and it made her nervous to break the heavy silence that seemed to have fallen upon them.

"I'll have hot water brought for you so you can have a bath," he told her finally.

"Thank you," she replied.

"And I'll make sure you're brought some food and wine," he continued.

"That's most kind of you," she said.

"You can rest here tonight," he said.

"With you?" she questioned him, her eyes widening.

"I'll rest out with the men," he told her.

"I don't want to be an inconvenience," she told him honestly.

"You're not," he assured her, "it's unlikely I'll sleep anyway."

With that he turned and left her before she could make any more comment. There was one thing she could pick up from him and that was a sense of an overwhelming sadness. She thought about what he had said to her in the woods and the pieces slowly began to slot together now that her heart wasn't pounding and her mind had stopped racing. He was taking his wife home. He didn't want to be responsible for the death of _another _young woman. His Queen was dead. For some reason that made her want to cry.

* * *

_She twirled ahead of him as the rare autumn sunshine peaked out from behind the clouds that seemed to cover almost all of the pale blue sky. Her dark hair glinted in the rays and he couldn't help but stare at her. In two days she would be his completely and he could not wait to be consumed by her. She spun back to look at him then, her cheeks flushed and her eyes shining; that perfect smile on her doll face. A smile tugged at his own lips as he gazed at her, her eyes meeting his – the action making his heart speed up alarmingly._

"_Tell me about Winterfell," she commanded, her smile widening when he chuckled at her._

"_I'm not sure my descriptions would do it justice," he told her honestly, seating himself on the grass._

"_Is it really as wonderful as all the books describe?" she asked him with her eyes wide._

"_Better," he smiled and she sat herself down eagerly next to him and took his hand._

"_I cannot wait to see it," she told him._

She'd never see it now. He kicked at a stone on the ground as he thought that. Sometimes he could erase all the memories that would come creeping up on him whenever his mind wasn't occupied. But then if they were gone what would he have left of her? He glanced at the cart where the makeshift coffin lay. He still couldn't quite accept that she was in there; that she was laying there so cold and unmoving and gone.

"_It was quick your Grace. A blow to the back of the head, she would have known no pain."_

No, she knew no pain, she left him with it all. Sometimes it hurt so much he wanted to tear out his own heart to relieve the ache that seemed to course through every inch of his body. When he woke in the mornings he would feel nothing, his mind somehow deluding him into believing that she was still there. That he could just reach out for her and pull her into his arms. She wasn't there. The other side of the bed lay cold. As cold as she was now.

Why did it have to be her?

Why did she have to leave the tent?

* * *

Lottie jumped as the flap of the tent was pushed aside and she pulled her loosened dress to her quickly to preserve her modesty. She had thought perhaps someone had come with dinner for her but she dismissed the idea at once as she looked into the eyes of the woman. Eyes that were already incredibly familiar. She could be no one but Catelyn Stark – the King's mother.

"Who are you?" she demanded, her tone cold, "Where is my son?"

"My name is Lottie my Lady," she told her, "I do not know where his Grace is"

Catelyn turned on her heel then and marched from the tent before the girl named Lottie could say another word. She was less than impressed to find a half clothed woman in the tent of her son. She marched across the camp, her eyes darting every which way searching for any sign of Robb. Eventually she saw him near the supplies, sat on a cask of ale with a flagon of it in his hand. He didn't seem drunk as she approached and she was glad of it. The last thing he needed in his fragile state was to drink himself down into a depression.

"I've just met Lottie," she told him, her eyebrows raised. He showed no flicker of guilt.

"Has food been taken for her yet?" he asked her.

"What in the name of the Gods is she doing in your tent?" she demanded, ignoring his question.

"Resting," he told her shortly.

"Have you forgotten where we're going?!" she seethed.

"I know damn well where we're going," he snarled and she almost flinched.

"Then perhaps you should get rid of the whore in your tent," she told him.

"She's not a whore," Robb snapped, "you really think I've moved on so quickly?!"

"I think you're grieving," his mother said more gently.

"She's a Lady I found in the woods about to be raped," he told her.

"Robb …" she started.

"I haven't bed her and I don't intend to. My wife has been gone nine days," he snarled.

"I'm sorry," she said firmly.

"She's not even laid to rest yet," he said, his voice beginning to tremble.

"I know Robb, I'm sorry," she insisted.

"Forget it," he snapped, slamming down his flagon and walking away from her.

Catelyn felt awful as she watched him walk away, his shoulders slouched and his steps heavy. The grief was crushing him she knew that well enough but he refused to talk about it and he refused to stop blaming himself. She felt bad for pushing him over Lottie, she had jumped to the wrong conclusion but it was unsurprising considering the last time he had been in turmoil over losing a loved one he had taken Jeyne Westerling to bed.

"_You foolish, foolish boy! What were you thinking of?!" she demanded._

"_I wasn't …" he stuttered, "… the news … Bran and Rickon … she comforted me"_

"_I'll bet she did," she snorted._

"_I have to marry her," he said then and she wanted to slap him._

"_No you don't," she told him, her voice shaking with anger._

"_I cannot leave her dishonoured!" he exclaimed, "What if I've got her with child?!"_

"_That won't be a problem, Lady Spicer will see to that," she snapped._

"_But …" he started and she slammed her hand down on the table._

"_You are not marrying her," she told him, "you made a pact with the Frey's and you will keep it"_

"_But …" he tried again._

"_No Robb!" she almost shouted, "You will not lose this war over a stupid mistake!"_

"_No," he finally said after looking at her for the longest time, "no you're right"_

"_You'll forget Jeyne Westerling. You will marry a Frey girl," she said, her eyes not leaving his._

"_I'll marry a Frey girl," he nodded. _

He had and he had been glad to do it. The happiness shone from every pore of him from the moment he had made his decision and chosen her. Catelyn had been right to steer him away from Jeyne. He had thanked her for it in the end. Now it was over though. He had kept his promise to Walder Frey but he had lost her. He had lost her all too soon.

* * *

Lottie awoke at first light and quickly got out of the King's bed. True to his word he had not come back. It had taken her a long time to fall asleep, some part of her thinking that he would return and claim his reward for rescuing her. He hadn't though and eventually she managed to close her eyes in a fitful sleep, the images of her would-be attackers coming for her mingled with the rough, unsmiling face of the King in the North. 'Stark's are honourable', she would remind herself every time she jolted awake, doing her best to ignore her mother's voice.

"_Men are all the same deep down, they all just crave what is between a woman's thighs."_

She dressed in a hurry and hesitated for a moment before wrapping up some of the remains of her dinner in a cloth and tying it so she could easily carry it. She pulled her boots on then and gathered up her fair hair before pinning it back and pulling up the hood of her cloak. With that she picked up her food parcel and slipped from the tent. She walked hurriedly across the camp, ignoring the looks that some other early risers sent her way, keeping her steps brisk and purposeful. She had almost made it to the edge of camp when his gruff voice stopped her in her tracks.

"And where do you think you're going?"

She toyed with the idea of ignoring him and continuing on but she somehow knew that he would come after her and no doubt drag her back to the camp. No doubt he would mention his wife again and guilt her into staying where it was safe. She couldn't go with him and his men though. They were going north and her home was in the south. Was it though? The needling voice of doubt was back in her mind now. What did she truly have left in the south now? She swallowed hard at that thought and finally turned around to face him. He looked terrible, his young face etched in a grief that seemed to spread across his entire body. She would be willing to bet anything that he had not slept a wink. It was then she noticed with a jolt what he was sitting next to.

"Would you believe me if I said I was just going for a walk?" she asked him.

"Do I look stupid?" he countered.

"You look like you could use a good night's sleep," she told him honestly.

"But not stupid?" he persisted, ignoring her comment.

"No," she said softly, "not stupid"

"So you'll be staying right here," he said.

"It doesn't seem like I have a choice," she said and he almost smiled, it looked as though it had cost him a lot of effort.

She sighed heavily then and walked back towards him, pausing for a moment when she stood above him before sitting himself down next to him on the grass. Her eyes pulled to the coffin on top of the cart then and her heart panged uncomfortably. The King's eyes were fixed on it as well and she wanted to say something comforting to him but instead found herself saying nothing. The silence that had descended on them the night before was back and she decided that if he wanted to break it again then he could but she was keeping her own mouth firmly closed.

"I sometimes wish I could crawl in there with her and sleep forever," he told her after what seemed like an eternity.

"I understand your pain well enough," she said and he nodded, remembering what she'd said about her husband and the black of her clothing.

"I don't want you to feel like I'm keeping you prisoner, if you truly want to return home I can send men to escort you, I just don't want you going alone," he said.

"That's kind of you," she replied, "but I don't have a home anymore"

"Then where were you going?" he asked her with a frown.

"I thought about going to my parents … but now …" she tailed off.

"You could come to the North," he told her.

"I hear it's cold," she smiled slightly and he snorted.

"It is," he agreed, "but it's also welcoming and offers a simpler way of life"

"A simple life sounds appealing," she conceded.

"You don't need to decide now," he told her.

"But soon?" she guessed.

"We will be at the Twins in two days, you can decide then whether you want to cross or not," he said.

"Thank you your Grace," she said quietly.

He didn't say anything in return, his eyes back on the wagon. She didn't need to ask him to know that he had loved his wife. His eyes told her more than his words ever could. In two days they would reach the Twins and that's where he would leave her, with her family. She vaguely wondered why he wasn't taking her back to Winterfell and bit her lip slightly, wondering if she dared ask him.

"Why don't you take her back with you?" she finally questioned.

"She never got to see Winterfell when she was alive," he told her, "the Twins was her home"

"But you're her husband … she belongs with you …" she frowned.

"She was so excited at the thought of Winterfell, the thought of seeing her face light up when she rode through the gates brought me so much joy," he said and her frown deepened, "how can I bring her under those gates in a box knowing I will never see that smile again?"

"I'm sorry," she whispered and she truly meant it.

"So am I," he said bitterly and she saw his mouth clenched tight, knowing he was fighting tears.

"What was her name?" she asked him after a few moments of silence.

"_My daughter, Waldra," Walder Frey introduced and the girl looked up to meet his eyes._

_He nodded his greeting and they continued down the line._

"_My niece, Marianne," Walder introduced then and Robb met another pair of eyes._

_Again they continued on, the line was a long one._

"_My daughter, Roslin," he introduced then and the girl looked up as the others had. _

_This time Robb stopped, his eyes caught. Hooked._

_She smiled a tiny smile then and he returned it, his eyes still fixed on hers._

_Walder had continued on but he didn't even hear his introductions anymore._

_He didn't care for the names of his other daughter's and nieces and granddaughters. _

_He had found his wife._

"Roslin," he told Lottie after a painful silence, "her name was Roslin."

* * *

**A/N: **Okay how did I do? Please be gentle!

:)


	2. II

**A/N: **Hey guys!

Thanks for checking out the first chapter, here's another one for you.

Look out for the all new and improved Walder Frey (it's about time right?)

Any thoughts would be just great!

:)

* * *

**II**

* * *

The Twins loomed large and bleak and Robb had to fight the urge to turn his horse around and go right back. He wasn't even sure how he was supposed to face Walder Frey. Roslin's father. The man who had placed her hand in his and watched on as he'd put that cloak around her shoulders.

"_Will you cloak this woman and bring her under your protection?"_

Some protector he was. He had only managed to hold onto her for three months. The greatest months of his life that he had been certain would stretch on into years. Into a lifetime. A lifetime of bliss with a wife that he loved. He swallowed hard. It was his fault. He had been selfish. He should never have taken her to King's Landing for the coronation. He had known the roads were still dangerous but she had begged him with those beautiful doe eyes and he could not refuse her. The journey would be much more tolerable knowing he could wrap himself up in her every night.

"_Please Robb! I would love to see the Capital … please, please!" _

Damn it all. He should have left her at the Twins. He should have left her where she was safe. If he had he would be riding back to claim her now. Riding under those gates and pulling her warm, soft body into his arms. Not riding under them with her cold, dead body dragged on a wagon in his wake.

He felt sick as he rode under the gates. Walder was stood on the steps of the keep, the man was over ninety but Robb had never seen him look it. Not until now. He summoned up all his courage then and dismounted his horse, forcing himself to keep his eyes away from the wagon that was rolling in after him. He saw from the look on Walder's face as he approached that the man had seen the coffin that held his daughter enter the courtyard.

"_She is my most precious jewel. A father shouldn't have favourite's … but … she is mine"_

"I'm sorry," Robb managed as he came to a stop in front of him.

"What did they do to her?" Walder asked him.

"She didn't suffer," Robb told him and the older man nodded.

"Have you nailed it shut?" his gruff voice asked then.

"No," Robb shook his head.

"Then I can see my girl once more," he said and Robb nodded, swallowing hard.

"When will she …?" he tailed off, unable to speak the words.

"Tomorrow," Walder said, his eyes tight as he nodded vigorously.

"Right," Robb managed, not sure he could say anything else.

"Someone will show you to your chambers, no doubt you need a rest," Walder told him, his eyes drifting back to the wagon as a serving girl came forward and curtseyed.

* * *

Thankfully he wasn't put in the rooms that he and Roslin had shared during their time at the Twins. He wasn't sure how he would have reacted to seeing her things lying about the room as though she had only been there a moment before. Eleven days. That's how long it had been since he had last seen her alive. Had he told her he loved her that day? Surely he had, he told her every day. But what if he hadn't? What if it had slipped his mind? What if he hadn't told her?

He sat heavily on the bed then and rubbed his hands across his face. He was being stupid, of course he would have told her. He told her every morning when she woke up in his arms and fixed him with that sleepy smile. Of course he had told her. He had become addicted to telling her ever since that first time.

_Her breathing was laboured as he let his body cover hers, a hitch in her throat as their bare skin touched together. He let his hand gently wander her thigh and she tentatively shifted her legs up and around his waist, an involuntary shudder leaving her as she felt how hard he was pressed up against her. His lips covered hers then and she kissed him back eagerly, her sudden moment of apprehension leaving her as he sent pleasure coursing through her entire body. His hand kept gently wandering high up on her thigh, gauging her reaction, wanting her to be relaxed for him. She let out an involuntary moan then and he wrenched his lips from hers and gazed down into her eyes. She was flushed and breathless and oh so beautiful as she gazed back up at him. He shifted his body then, preparing to slide into her and she gasped slightly at the unexpected intrusion._

"_I love you," he told her and an even louder gasp escaped her as he pushed down completely. _

I love you. Such a simple phrase. Such a true one. It was still true. He still loved her. He still told her every day as he rested on his knees and begged her forgiveness. His heart ached knowing that he would never hear her sweet voice saying it back to him. He could only imagine it now. He could only dwell on the memory of her. Of her voice. Of her touch. Of her scent. Of everything about her that had consumed him so completely and had him surrendering to her mercy and promising her the world. He would give anything to have her back. Anything. Even if it was just for a second so he could hear her tell him she loved him just one more time.

"_You're sore," he said heavily, seeing how she winced when she threw her leg over his. _

"_It's a good pain," she told him and he smiled slightly, her eyes gleaming in the morning sunlight. _

"_I'm sorry I hurt you," he said meaningfully._

"_I forgive you Robb," she whispered, her hand stroking down his cheek, "I love you."_

* * *

Lottie was uncertain of what to do with herself but finally one of Robb's men took pity on her and sought out a serving girl to find her a room. The room she was now housed in was small but comfortable and clean. Given that she had spent weeks sleeping under the stars and the last days under thin canvas the room felt like a palace and she was immensely grateful for it.

_His hand stroked along her stomach as he tucked up behind her. He didn't always sleep with her, more often than not he was in another room with another woman. It didn't bother her. It didn't matter to her whether he shared her bed or left her in it alone. She slept just the same either way. Tonight it felt different though. Tonight she was glad he was here. Tonight she was glad he had his arms wrapped around her, his breaths even and warm in her ear. Tonight she was happy to be in his embrace. _

She stood up then and walked to the window. Thinking of her husband made her think of other things, things that were too painful. Things that haunted her. She toyed with the cuff of her sleeve as she looked down into the courtyard. A light drizzle was falling from the iron grey sky but there were men out there hard at work assembling a barge. The Queen in the North would float down the Trident on it tomorrow, on her final journey to the Gods. She thought of the King then and how he must be feeling but quickly stopped. She knew all too well and thinking about it only made her think of her own grief. She hoped it wouldn't rain tomorrow.

"_It's just one of those things my Lady, I did not find any clear cause."_

She wasn't sure if that made it worse or better. She wondered if Lyndon had been buried yet, if his body had been returned to his home, if the servants would have even bothered. Would they take the time to put him in the ground or would they leave him out for the wolves and the rot to get to him? She clutched her arms around her at the thought and did her best to repress a shudder. What would he say to her if he could see her now? Would he tell her to go north or would he tell her to go south to her parents and face her mother's shaming stare?

What did it matter? He wasn't there, he couldn't tell her anything anymore.

"What do I do?" she whispered.

* * *

"I can't do this," Robb said in a slightly strangled voice.

"It's alright," his mother soothed, eyeing him warily as he stamped up and down his room.

"No it's not! It's not alright! How can it be alright?! How can it ever be alright?! She's dead!" he cried.

"I know," she said in a pained voice, unsure of what she could possibly say to calm him down.

"I don't want to let her go! I don't want her pushed out into that river!" he shouted.

"Robb …" she began but he launched into another tirade before she could continue.

"How can I let her go?! Let her be at the mercy of the elements and the … wolves," he choked out.

"It's tradition," Catelyn told him quietly.

"The crows pecking at her eyes, tearing at her face! No mother! No, no, no!" he broke down.

He was on his knees then and it was all Catelyn could do not to break down with him. Instead she summoned up her strength and knelt by his side, wrapping her arms as best she could around him as he sobbed uncontrollably. No words came to her. No words would soothe her son she knew that and it broke her heart that she couldn't comfort her little boy. He had been through so much. He had faced so much and overcome so much and it was supposed to be over. He was supposed to be jubilant and happy and victorious. Instead he was broken and lost and defeated. He had everything he had set out for. His sister's. His crown. Everything. But right now in that moment Catelyn knew that he would give it all up if it meant he could have Roslin back and it broke her heart.

"I'll talk to Walder Frey Robb," she whispered, the only words she could find, "I'll talk to him"

"_My little jewel, I hope your son will treasure her as I have."_

He did. Oh Gods he did.

* * *

Catelyn was apprehensive as she approached Walder Frey's presence room. The guards had told her he was shut up in there alone and was not receiving visitors. She remembered all those years ago when she had come to him to ask him to let Robb cross the bridge. It felt like an eternity ago but she still recalled it as though it were yesterday.

"_So, you want me to actively aid your son in his rebellion?"_

He had driven a hard bargain but without him Robb's war would have been over before it had even truly started. Walder was a gruff man, cunning some might even say but beneath it all Catelyn knew that he loved his children. He drove the bargain he did to get the best for them. He had got his wish, he had seen his daughter married and become Queen in the North. She wondered whether he was regretting that decision now.

She knocked softly and let herself in when he didn't answer, he would see her whether he liked it or not, Robb's sanity depended on it. He looked up in faint surprise when she walked in and she saw him trying to compose himself. She didn't like intruding on his grief when he clearly desired to be left alone but she had to for Robb's sake.

"What can I do for you Lady Stark?" he asked her.

"I've come for Robb," she told him.

"What does he want?" he questioned, a frown furrowing his already creased brow.

"It's more what he needs," she said.

"Well come now, we haven't all day, spit it out," he urged her sharply.

"He doesn't want Roslin going down the Trident," she told him.

"I see," Walder said slowly.

"He doesn't want her exposed like that … the thought is … troubling him …" it was an understatement and Walder knew it. He could see it in her eyes.

"_You happy with the Stark boy?" he asked her gruffly._

"_You shouldn't call him that father, he's the King," she scolded him lightly._

"_Answer the question girl!" he barked at her with a chuckle._

"_Yes," she nodded, meeting his eyes, "yes I am happy with him"_

She had practically glowed when he had handed her over in the Sept. Those innocent eyes never looked away from Stark as they had recited their vows. Happiness shone from her. She'd been happy with him. She should still be happy with him. If he ever found the bastard who had snatched her away from her happiness he would make him suffer in every which way before he let his heart stop beating. Stark felt the same, he had seen it in his eyes when the boy had told him exactly what had happened. There was a bounty out on those Lannister's. Walder had already vowed he wouldn't give in to his old age until the one who had snuffed out his daughter's young life was in the Seven Hells. He looked at Catelyn then and sighed heavily.

"I'll have the men dig a grave in the gardens … she loved walking out there," he said.

"Thank you," she said meaningfully and he nodded.

"If he wants something etched in stone he ought to get word to the mason," he told her then.

"Thank you," she said again, holding his gaze for a moment before turning away.

"_I think I will be most happy in the North Lady Stark."_

Catelyn walked slowly back up towards Robb's rooms, steeling herself for the state she would find him in. She had urged him to try and rest before she had gone down to speak with Walder Frey but she doubted that he would have. When she had left him he had been sat on the end of his bed staring out into nothing. When she pushed open the door she wished he was still there. He wasn't though, he was on his knees with his back to her pleading over and over.

"Please," he choked, "please, please, please forgive me … I should never have left you alone … I should never have left you I'm sorry. Please forgive me Roslin … please …"

She felt the tears sting her eyes. Her son didn't deserve this. After everything he had been through he deserved to be happy. He deserved the utter joy that Roslin had brought him. It was so cruel that she had been snatched away from him after such a brief time together.

"_I think I may well be the luckiest woman in the kingdoms to have Robb as my husband."_

* * *

Somehow he managed not to shake as he walked out there. Somehow he managed not to cry as he stood at Walder Frey's side and watched as the box was lowered into the ground. Somehow he managed not to jump down after her and claw at the lid. _She's dead_, he reminded himself; _you can't save her now. _No matter how much he wanted to. She was gone. She was with the Gods. Her body was there in the ground but her soul was gone. Her essence had left her. Left him.

_He leant his face tentatively closer, his heart pounding as her eyes gazed back at him. _

"_Do you want to kiss me your Grace?" she asked him, biting gently down on her bottom lip._

"_Yes," he whispered, oh Gods yes he wanted to kiss her._

_She leant closer to him then and her eyes fluttered closed just before he pressed his lips to hers. She was slightly hesitant at first and his heart beat even more furiously as he realised she had likely never been kissed before. Knowing that he was the first man to have taken pleasure from her lips thrilled him. The thrill rising higher as he realised that he would be the only man. She was intoxicating. The taste of her. The feel of her. It took everything in him not to push her down flat onto the grass and have her right there. _

_His heart pounded for her. His heart belonged to her. _

She still had it. Even now with the men shovelling dirt down onto her as the Septon recited words that meant nothing to Robb. It meant nothing. Just as sure as life without her meant nothing. He looked up to the skies as a rumble of thunder sounded overhead and wondered how he was ever supposed to pick himself up from this. He was King. A King without a Queen and without an heir. His Lords would give him time to grieve but they wouldn't wait forever. Soon enough they would be urging him to remarry, thrusting their own daughters his way and singing their praises. The thought of taking a new wife made him feel sick. He didn't want a new wife. He wanted Roslin.

Walder glanced sideways at Robb as the congregation of people who had come out to pay their final respects to Roslin began drifting back towards the keep. He was loathe to stay out here now that the rain was beginning to fall but he couldn't find it in him to leave his good-son standing alone at the side of her freshly filled in grave. He swallowed hard as the mason and his apprentice moved the simple flat stone to the head of the mound, his hand in his pocket clenching around the smooth, cold metal of the locket. He pulled it out as they eased the stone into place and cleared his throat to rouse Robb's attentions.

"I had this made when you chose her," he told him when he finally looked at him.

"What is it?" Robb asked, his voice hoarse.

"Open it," Walder urged him and he did as he was told.

It was her image in one window, her beautiful eyes wide and innocent as he remembered them, a small smile playing on her lips. Her hair fell loose in curls around her shoulders. She looked beautiful. She was beautiful. A lock of that hair was fixed in the opposite window and Robb let a shaking finger stroke it, biting back tears again. It was as soft as he remembered. Twelve days. He'd been without her for twelve days.

"It's yours," Walder told him.

"I can't … you had it made for yourself," Robb argued.

"I had it made because she was leaving here … she's home now, I don't need it," he said.

"I'm sorry," Robb whispered.

"Not half as sorry as I am," he said heavily, hesitating slightly before clapping a hand to Robb's shoulder briefly before he turned and ambled slowly away.

Robb closed the locket before the rain got to it and ruined her image and slid it into his breast pocket. Walder's gesture had touched him, he had been certain the old man would blame him for his daughter's death but he had not once looked at him accusingly. The mason and his apprentice looked up at him then and muttered their condolences before bowing low and shuffling away. He was alone now. Alone with his wife, gazing down on her grave that she should never have been buried in. He let his eyes wander to the stone, he could barely remember what meaningless words he had written on the scrap of paper he had sent to the mason.

_Here lies Roslin Stark_

_Queen in the North_

_Beloved wife and daughter_

Wrenched from the world too soon, he added, ripped from the husband who had promised to protect her. Damn it all. Why did she have to leave the tent? Why hadn't he stayed with her?

"_I forgive you Robb … I love you."_

* * *

Lottie couldn't sleep. The thunder and the lightning crashed all around the keep, the rain lashing against her window making it impossible for her to close her eyes. She jammed her shoes on and pulled a robe about her, shivering slightly in the chill of the night air. The fire that had been lit in her room had long since gone out, the warmth from it being sucked away by the freezing weather. It would be colder up north, she reminded herself, she had to give the King her decision tomorrow and she wasn't quite sure if she was ready yet. She had to decide though, the King wouldn't delay, he wanted to be gone from the Twins as soon as possible and having watched from the window as his Queen was buried she could understand his desperation.

She left her room then, creeping softly down the hallway towards the parlour at the other end where she knew she would find some wine. If she was lucky there might still be a fire on as well. When she slipped in through the door and closed it silently behind her she jumped as she realised that the room was not empty as she had expected it to be. If it had been anyone else she would have just mumbled her apologies and left. It wasn't though. It was the King and something about the way he was sat nursing his large glass of wine made her approach him.

"Do you mind if I share a drink with you your Grace?" she asked him.

"Do what you want," he said, not even looking at her, "just don't expect me to be good company"

She said nothing in return, she merely walked to the side table when a large wine decanter stood mostly full. There was another one next to it and she noted it was empty, no doubt the King had been left drinking alone for most of the night. She poured herself a glass and took a sip, hesitating slightly when she turned back to the grief-stricken King. It would be so easy to just take her wine back to her room and leave him in peace. It didn't feel right leaving him in such a state though and so she took the seat opposite him instead, still not saying a word. She had demons of her own to battle, the last thing she needed was to take on someone else's.

_It was the softest thing she had ever felt. Softer than her own skin after she doused herself with Dornish oils. Softer than the finest silks she had ever felt against her body. Softer than the delicate furs Lyndon had bought her in preparation for winter. Soft. The softest thing. The most perfect thing._

Robb looked up in vague surprise when he drained the last of his wine. He had almost forgotten that Lottie had come in but he took the time to look at her properly now. She had a faraway look in her eyes that were so glazed with sadness. She was a young woman, younger than him he would guess and yet she looked as though she had live a thousand lives – each more painful than the last. He rose up then and went to pour himself another glass of wine, glancing over at her again once it was full, realising why it was she looked so different tonight. It was her clothing, she was in light coloured nightclothes with a creamy coloured robe tied about her. Usually she wore black. Always black.

"Do you wear black in mourning for your husband my Lady?" he asked her then, making her jump.

"No," she said after a moment, "I have worn black since I lost my son"

_Soft. He was ever so soft._

"I'm so sorry my Lady," he said quietly and she had no doubt at all that he meant it.

"His name was Arthur," she told him, unsure why she was doing so. Usually she never spoke of him.

"That's a strong name," he smiled slightly and she nodded.

"He was a strong boy," she managed to whisper, tears stinging at her eyes now.

"What happened?" Robb asked her in concern and she raised her head up to meet his gaze.

"I don't know," she told him honestly, "one moment he was there … the next …"

_She woke slowly, suspiciously. The sun was streaming through the window but no wails were coming from the crib. Usually he would be up at dawn and screaming. He had woken in the night as usual and she had fed him as usual. He had drifted to sleep in her arms all warm and satisfied now that he was full to the brim with milk again. She pulled herself out of bed then with a frown and padded softly to his crib. He was still sleeping. She smiled, leaning her hand down to his chest intending to gently shake him awake. He was cold. Still. It was like she only just noticed the tinge of blue around his lips and the overwhelming stillness that seemed to crush everything around her. Screams came then. But they were not his. They would never be his again. They were hers. They were all hers. _

"Roslin was pregnant," Robb finally said after the longest time and she stared at him.

"Oh Gods …" she whispered, unsure if she could manage anything else.

"No one knew, just me and her … it felt so good, such a good secret to have," he almost smiled.

"I'm sorry," she managed then.

"I lost them both," he said, a disbelieving frown setting deep into his brow.

"I'm sorry," she said again.

"How can I miss something I never had?" he asked her then, his frown deepening.

"You can grieve for your child as well as your wife, there is no shame in it," she told him firmly.

"Can I?" he questioned her, an almost desperate look in his eyes.

"Of course, you lost part of yourself the day you lost her and the baby," she said and he nodded.

"I miss her," he choked.

"I know," she nodded, "believe me I know …"

"_No! He's mine, he's mine! Don't you dare take him away from me!"_

Lyndon had banished them. He let her sit there in the rocking chair with their baby in her arms. He let her sit there for hours and he didn't say a word. It was the single most wonderful thing he had done for her in the entirety of their marriage. In that moment she could almost say she loved him. When the sun set behind the clouds he had finally moved. He had taken Arthur himself, holding him so gently as if he was still sleeping. Lottie had choked on a sob but she made no move to stop him. She never saw her son again.

"How old was he?" Robb asked her then.

"He was six days old," she told him.

"Gods I am sorry," he told her and she nodded, the tears stinging her eyes again.

"For six days I was euphoric," she confessed, "you can't imagine the pain of childbirth"

"No," he agreed, vaguely remembering his mother's screams echoing through the halls when she had been birthing Rickon.

"But that pain is nothing the instant you hold your baby," she continued.

"And nothing compared to the pain you're in now," he guessed well and she nodded.

"Nothing will ever make losing Arthur alright," she said, meeting his eyes.

"I understand that," he said.

"But it does get easier," she insisted, "and I know you have probably been told that by so many people but I swear to you … it does"

"Thank you," he said meaningfully, nodding to her. She smiled faintly in response and he swallowed hard as he picked up his wine glass again.

"_Can you imagine Robb? A little Prince or Princess with your blue eyes!"_

Gods she'd been happy.

He looked at Lottie then and felt some kind of comfort radiating onto him. She was a good woman with a good heart. Her name might trouble some but not him. She would do well in the North if she was prepared to take the risk and go with him to Winterfell. He couldn't promise her happiness but he could promise her shelter and safety.

"Have you thought any more about where you will go from here?" he asked her then.

"It has been troubling me," she confessed.

"I leave tomorrow," he told her.

"I know," she nodded.

"The North is different, but maybe that's what you need," he said softly.

"Maybe you're right," she smiled slightly.

"_The North, Charlotte, is full of savages, they aren't like us …"_

No. Lottie thought. They aren't.

"I'm coming with you," she said then and Robb raised his eyebrows in surprise, "I'm coming north."

* * *

**A/N: **I think I added to the misery of the first chapter then.

Hope I haven't depressed you all too much!

I will try and get another chapter up on Friday.

Any thoughts on this one would be amazing.

:)


	3. III

**A/N: **Hey guys, a day earlier than promised! Hope you like it.

Thoughts as ever would be awesome and thanks to everyone who had left me a review, followed or favourited. Means a lot!

:)

* * *

**III**

* * *

Winterfell.

It loomed up out of the dusk, larger and more imposing that she had ever thought it to be. Robb was right, the stories did not do it justice. It took Lottie's breath away as it slowly came further into focus the closer they rode to it. She wondered what the King was feeling as she tore her eyes from the walls and the turrets and fixed them on him. He was riding at the helm of the party, several men and horses separating them, his mother at his side. Before he must have been so happy at the thought of coming home. Now doing so without his wife at his side she imagined he must feel greatly conflicted.

"_Have you ever been to the North?" she asked him._

"_Why in the name of the Gods would I want to go there?" he snorted in response._

Because it's wonderful. She had her answer for him now. He would never hear it though. No doubt he would have just snorted at her again anyway. Lyndon never believed that there was anything of worth once you crossed into the Riverlands. He went to Riverrun once for reasons Lottie could no longer remember. He had returned in a foul mood and vowed never again. He and Robb would not have got on. That thought made her want to giggle for some reason but she managed to control herself.

They would pass under the gates any moment and for some reason it sent a thrill of excitement through her. This was it, she realised. This was her chance for a new start, a new life with new people that had never met her before. She could be Lottie Morvay again instead of Lottie Lannister. She could be free from the shackles of her husband's poisoned name. Maybe just maybe she could find a little piece of happiness up here in the cold North.

"_Lannister bitch! The Kings will hunt you all down in the end and I'll be damned if you take us down with you!"_

She shuddered. That man had been wrong. The King in the North had saved her. It wasn't his intention to harm her, only help her. He was a good man. A better man than she had ever heard him given credit for. A better man than she had ever thought he would be. It wasn't just Lyndon's name that had poisoned her.

"_The wolf's marching on the Capital. It's the last fight now. Damn Stark bastard … I'm leaving in the morning Lottie, it's time these rebels were put down … fucking Stannis … I thought he'd know better than to join up with Stark … fuck it all …"_

He had gone on like that all night and by the end of it she had hated Robb Stark as much as he did, although that was probably because she was sick to death of hearing her husband rant on about him. She had never seen Lyndon that angry before, or that scared. She knew that was why he was shouting and raging. He had been scared, and rightly so considering what had befallen him. When he had left he had kissed her full on the mouth in front of all his men. He had never done that before. When he pulled back and looked into her eyes for the first time in months she saw the fear there. She saw the end of the war before it had even happened and she knew that they were doomed.

"_His body is being brought by the Silent Sister's my Lady …"_

Nothing. That's what she was left with as soon as the news had come. She couldn't say she had loved her husband but she had cared for him. He had never been cruel to her, never lashed out and struck her. He never forced himself on her when she was unwilling to lay with him after Arthur had died. He contented himself with whores and respected her time of mourning. He may not have understood but he let her be and for that she was grateful. She would miss him she realised. She realised that when they told her he was gone. When she found out she was alone.

* * *

Robb wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel when he rode into the courtyard of Winterfell. It looked different, several of the buildings looked in need of repair and one of the western towers looked like it was still faintly smoking. He sighed heavily. It would keep him busy he supposed, perhaps he could even physically help with the re-building. He could push his body to utter exhaustion on a daily basis and then perhaps he would be able to sleep. Twenty seven days. It still didn't feel any easier and he almost felt betrayed. He looked back at Lottie then and saw the look of wonder on her face as she glanced around. His irritation with her melted then, she looked almost child-like as she let her eyes wander her surroundings. He had saved her at least. That was one good thing he could take from his time in the south.

"_Do you think the people of the North will like me?" she asked almost fearfully._

"_Like you?" he repeated, "they will love you … they will utterly adore you"_

_She giggled then as he smothered kisses across her forehead and down her cheek before claiming her lips, savouring that perfect taste of her. _

They would have, he thought bitterly. They would have adored her. He hadn't lied.

Before he could get sucked down into dark thoughts of her the door of the keep opened and his siblings filed out, Rickon came first, screaming out in utter delight and flying at his mother who was exclaiming her love over and over again. Robb slid down off his horse then as Sansa and Arya appeared, both of them wore almost identical looks of sympathy as they caught his eye and he wished they would stop. He didn't want their sympathy. They hadn't know Roslin. They hadn't known what she meant to him. He felt guilty for thinking such bitter thoughts when he hadn't set eyes on any of his brother's or sister's for almost three years.

Rickon flew at him then, his youngest brother was a lot bigger but his eyes still shone with an innocence that only a child could possess and he was overjoyed to see it. The war had taken so much, but it hadn't taken his brother's innocence and he was thankful to the Gods for it as he responded to Rickon's tight embrace. Arya and Sansa seemed to take heart from his reaction to Rickon and edged their own way down the steps to embrace him in turn before turning to their mother. He was glad neither of them had said anything, glad that they hadn't told him how sorry they were for his loss. No doubt they were sorry, but them saying it would only make it worse. Perhaps they had known that. Perhaps that was why they had said nothing.

Bran came last, pushing himself along in his specially made wheelchair that he had written to him about in delight not six moons ago. The new Maester had had it made it for him and he was glad that he was able to get out and about around the keep without having to constantly be in the presence of Hodor. Bran had often liked to spend time alone before he had had his fall, he enjoyed the pleasure of his own company and Robb was glad that he had some of his freedom back. He hurried up the steps towards him and managed to bring a smile to his face for his brother which Bran returned before looking at him rather sceptically.

"Not mastered stairs yet then?" Robb asked him with a slightly forced chuckle.

"Maester Vernon has suggested a ramp for the steps to the keep," Bran told him.

"Not a bad idea," Robb said with a raised brow.

"You wouldn't mind?" Bran asked him.

"Of course not, if it means you can get outside whenever you please," he said honestly.

"Thank you Robb," Bran said meaningfully, "are you alright?"

"No," Robb said honestly, "but I am glad to be home"

"Good," Bran nodded, "I know it's not the same but I felt bad for a long time when I lost my legs … things are better for me now though"

"No it's not the same," Robb agreed, "but thank you … and I'm glad things are better for you"

"They'll get better for you too," Bran said certainly.

"That's what they tell me," he sighed, glancing over at Lottie who had been caught up in conversation with one of the men she had ridden in with.

"_And what about your family, will they like me?" she questioned when he finally pulled away._

"_You've already won my mother over, that was the hard part," he said, leaning back into her._

"_So they will?" she persisted, moving her head slightly away from him._

"_Yes," he assured her, "now stop talking Roslin Stark and kiss me again"_

"_Say that again," she giggled, moving her head again so his lips landed on her cheek._

"_Say what?" he growled, kissing down along her jawbone and down towards her neck._

"_My name," she gasped as he let his teeth nip lightly at her skin, "like that …"_

"_Roslin Stark," he murmured again, his hand sneaking its way under her skirts now._

"_Again!" she demanded, her breath coming sharply as he let his hand rest between her legs._

"_Roslin Stark," he whispered in her ear, a moan of satisfaction leaving her in response._

He snapped out of it then and saw Bran looking at him with that same look in his eyes that Sansa and Arya had had. He looked away quickly, turning his eyes to the skies which were slowly darkening, the suns final rays disappearing behind the horizon. She was up there if the Gods she believed it were true. She was in the Seven Heaven's. He hoped she was happy. At peace at least.

"I miss you," he whispered, his eyes not leaving the skies.

* * *

The room was simple, much as the one she was housed in at the Twins had been. It was slightly larger and had an adjoining washroom which she was glad for, she had felt awkward indeed having to run down the hallway to the bathrooms at the Twins. She had never had to share before and she was glad that she wouldn't have to again now.

"_My chambers are just down the hall, there is no need for us to be constantly in one another's presence …"_

No, indeed. Lyndon had been rather fond of his privacy, and of his whores. She supposed she should be grateful that he didn't bring them into their marriage bed. He didn't force her to suffer that shame that she knew countless other noble Ladies did. It seemed no man with a title was capable of staying faithful and the thought saddened her slightly. It didn't surprise her, she had been brought up a Lady, taught her duty well. Taught to keep her mouth shut and smile sweetly no matter what her husband forced her to endure. Lyndon wasn't so bad. Compared to the beast that her mother had prepared her for he was positively lovely.

"_You will smile through your duty and your pain, no matter what he makes you suffer"_

Lyndon had never made her suffer. Not directly at least. Losing Arthur hadn't been his fault, from what the Maester said no one was to blame. He hurt just as she did when their precious boy was taken from them. For the first time she had seen her husband vulnerable and bare and for the first time she had actively sought out his warm embrace. Him holding her so close made it hurt just that little bit less. It hadn't lasted. He had picked himself up quicker than she could and moved back down the hallway with his whores.

"_Oh Lottie … my sweet wife, where have you gone?"_

She hadn't known how to respond to that. How could she explain to him that it felt like someone had reached in and torn her heart out? She had carried her baby inside her for nine months and held him in her arms and nursed him for six precious days. When she found him cold and dead part of her had died too. He was part of her and he was gone and that hurt more than she could even explain to herself, let alone to her husband who had had more than a little to drink.

Lottie swallowed then and moved about the room to look out of the window. She could see over the walls of Winterfell from where she was housed, the town surrounding the castle seemed to be bustling with activity and it brought a small smile to her face. People were finishing up work for the day and heading home to their families and a hot meal. Simple. That's how the King had described life in the North. To another the word may have sounded derogatory but the King uttered it with pride and she could understand why. Simple didn't have to be bad. Simple looked rather good.

In the morning she would venture out and see if she couldn't find herself something to keep her occupied during the days. She wasn't bad at sewing, perhaps she could find a seamstress to aid, and perhaps she would even get some coin for her trouble. The King had told her he would write to King Stannis and urge him to have her husband's monies from his lands and estates given over to her. Lyndon hadn't been a rich man but they had lived a comfortable life and the money he had left behind would go some way to helping her restart her life. Perhaps there would even be enough that she could get a small house of her own in the town. She would like that. Somewhere just for herself. She had never had anything just for herself before.

* * *

Robb fell into a fitful sleep, jerking awake every now and again when he imagined he could hear her sweet voice echoing down the hallways. It felt wrong laying in his old, familiar bed in his old, familiar room without her. She was supposed to be here. She had been so excited at the thought of coming north. He had found her happiness amusing, most Ladies would shudder at the thought of spending a lifetime in the harsh cold of the North. Not Roslin though, she had revelled in the prospect.

"_You will keep me warm Robb!"_

Yes, he would have. He would have wrapped himself around her night after night, losing himself in how perfect she felt against him. He would have savoured every precious moment they had as they lay entwined in the darkness. He would have held her so securely and let his hands wander her growing stomach. He would have felt their precious baby moving within her. She would have smiled at his wonder and no doubt teased him with kisses and sweet words.

He turned over in the bed then and buried his face into a pillow, trying with every fibre of his being to rid himself of the image of her behind his eyes. He inhaled deeply, there was no trace of her scent on these pillows; she had never shared this bed with him. In his sleep deprived state he couldn't work out whether that was a blessing or a curse. He supposed in time it might make it easier, but right now everything just hurt too much for him to even consider the future.

_It felt so right, rocking into her sweet warmth as the rain lashed down against the canvas of their tent. He barely heard it as the soft cries of pleasure left her mouth. The sound of it made his own desires rise higher as he rocked harder, her thighs clenching more tightly around him as he did so. Her hands grabbed at the skin of his chest then and he growled out as her nails dug in, a final cry of pleasure coming from her lips as she finished around him. He collapsed against her in the next instant, his own end coming, his body twitching inside her as he breathed hard against her neck. _

_Bliss. That's what being with her was. It was so easy and so right._

_He was loathe to pull out of her, to slide himself away from the perfection of her and make them two separate people again. He much preferred it when they were joined completely. When they were one. She didn't let him go far, draping her slick body over his, her fingers tracing patterns in the damp hair of his chest. _

"_Robb?" she said tentatively, her voice almost nervous._

"_Yes?" he returned, still trying to calm his ragged breathing. _

"_I have your child inside me," she told him. _

He started awake again then, his breathing just as ragged as it had been in his dream, his chest coated with sweat just the same. Slowly he managed to calm himself, lowering himself slowly back down against the pillows as he steadied his breath. It wasn't the first time he had dreamt of her. Every time he closed his eyes he would dream of her. Dreams or memories he wasn't sure. This one had been a memory. It should have been a blissful one but it felt like agony. He had grown used to dreaming of her, but he had never dreamt of that night before. Not that night. Not that night when she suddenly became more than one person. Not that night. Never that night.

"_I have your child inside me"_

Damn it all now he couldn't get it out of his head no matter how hard he pressed his hands to it. Lottie had been right, he hadn't just lost Roslin he had lost part of himself. Part of him had been inside her. Their baby was within her, supposedly safe and secure and far from any harm. That man had killed both of them with one blow. He had snuffed them both out. He had taken everything from Robb with one careless swing of his mace. She had been so small. She had been so happy. A baby. Even just saying the word made her eyes light up with sheer joy. She loved that baby. She loved that tiny life inside her. She would have been an utterly devoted and adoring mother.

He cursed that bastard for taking that away from her. For taking her away from him. For taking their baby before it even had a chance to live. If they ever found him he would rip him apart with his bare hands. He would rip him apart like he had ripped his heart apart. Then he would give the pieces to Walder Frey. The old man wanted justice just as much as he did. Roslin had been his world. Robb couldn't imagine any man who met her would not do anything for her. He would have done anything for her. So would her father. So would her brother Olyvar who was still his squire. Olyvar had a haunted look about him and Robb never heard him laugh any more. He didn't even utter his sister's name, part of Robb was pleased about that. Olyvar had been torn when he had chosen Roslin, he and Robb were friends and he wasn't sure how he felt about him marrying his sister. Robb had assured him he would be a good husband though, that he wasn't going to be like those other Lords who drank and whored. Roslin was enough for him. She would always be enough for him.

"_You aren't like I expected," she told him as she lounged on the grass under the great oak tree._

"_What did you expect?" he asked her in amusement, propping himself up on his elbow to look at her._

"_I was always told that Northmen were serious and rough and unsmiling and …" she trailed off. _

"_And?" he coaxed, jabbing her lightly in the ribs and making her giggle. _

"_Hairy," she confessed after a moment and he let out a laugh of his own. _

"_Well perhaps they were right about one thing," he said and she smiled widely at him._

"_Just one?" she said teasingly, her fingers finding the part of his chest that was exposed at the top of his doublet and tickling at the hair there. _

"_Well I can be serious when I have to be," he conceded, gazing down into her eyes. _

"_And rough?" she asked him, her eyes not leaving his._

"_Not to you," he promised her, "never to you."_

* * *

Catelyn was up late, sat in one of the parlours down the hallway from her own rooms. She was feeling conflicted. She was so happy at being home, back at Winterfell and reunited with all of her children again. At the same time she was full of sadness. Sadness that Ned hadn't lived to see this day. Sadness that Robb was overwhelmed by grief and a guilt that he should not be feeling. She hoped that being back in the North, that being back in Winterfell would help ease his pain. It would take time, she knew that well enough. Even now, years later, she still woke up some mornings thinking that Ned would be there sleeping peacefully beside her. It was a stupid thing to think, even when he had been alive he would more often than not rise before her and be gone when she opened her own eyes.

On those rare occasions she did wake before him she would spend the few minutes before his own eyes opened just watching him sleep. She loved watching him when he was so unguarded and so normal. In bed beside her he was just a man, it didn't matter that he had a title and lands to preside over. He was just Ned. Just her Ned. And Gods she missed him, she missed him so much. The time made it better but there was still a void in her heart that she knew would never be filled. She would never remarry, there was no need for her to and she had no desire to be any other man's wife.

"_I am his and he is mine, from this day until the end of my days"_

She thought of Robb again then. His situation couldn't be more different. He _had _to marry again, he had no other choice, he was the King in the North and he needed an heir. She didn't dare even think to bring the subject up with him though. He wasn't ready yet. He wouldn't be ready for a long time. She knew damn well he would never fully recover from losing Roslin. He had loved her. Truly. Deeply. Completely. She had been everything to him and she did not envy the woman who would one day become his second Queen. Roslin's ghost would haunt her forever.

"_I love her mother … I never thought I would love her but I do … I love her, I love her so much"_

Catelyn shook her head and took a long drink from her wine glass. She didn't stop until she had drained it and she set the empty glass down much more forcefully that was necessary. She hated feeling this helpless. She hated being unable to comfort her son. It didn't matter how many words she uttered to him his face still did not lift. In those rare moments he would manage a faint smile it would fall all too quickly and be replaced by a look of guilt. He felt guilt for even smiling and that stabbed at her heart in a way that was too painful to even describe.

"If I could take all your pain away Robb I would do it in an instant," she told the empty room.

* * *

**A/N: **Still sad I'm afraid but there will be more Robb/Lottie interaction in the next chapter.

Should get it up in a few days - likely at the weekend.

:)


	4. IV

**A/N: **Hey guys, here's a new chapter!

Hope you like it and thank you for all the support I've received so far.

A review would be much appreciated, let me know how I'm doing and what you like or don't like.

I'll try and get another chapter up in a few days.

:)

* * *

**IV**

* * *

The seamstress had kindly but insistently told her that she had no further need of her after three days. After that she had wandered aimlessly around Winterfell, taking in all the sights and the smells that were all so new and unfamiliar to her. It was so different from the south. So different to her home but it was such a wonderful, refreshing feeling. She hadn't seen the King since the night they had arrived but building work had slowly begun around the keep and the town and she knew that it would have been him who ordered it. She hoped that perhaps he could take solace and perhaps some comfort from rebuilding his home.

Lottie wandered back towards the keep, thinking that perhaps she could introduce herself to one of the King's sisters. She missed the company of other women, the only woman she was already acquainted with was the King's mother and she was shrewd enough to know that Lady Stark did not approve of her. It hadn't been the best first impression to make, being found half naked in his tent when his wife had not yet been buried. It had been innocent of course but the impression seemed to have lingered with Lady Stark and she had made no attempts to befriend Lottie. Perhaps the King's sisters would be more approachable and accepting.

She was about to enter the keep when she recognised the Maester rushing across the courtyard on the heels of a guard and she instantly forgot her plan to find some women to befriend. Seeing him in such a panic made her think of the old Maester back home in the south – she had always enjoyed being with him and helping out in any way she could. She wasn't skilled at healing but she had a way with people and managed to keep them calm while the Maester tended to them. Perhaps this Maester Vernon would appreciate her help as well.

"Has something happened?" she asked as he hurried up the steps towards her.

"The Lady Arya has been injured," he said exasperatedly and she assumed that it wasn't the first time.

"Can I be of any help?" she asked then and he considered her for a moment.

"Perhaps you can," he said; "she has rather a vicious tongue on her when she's bleeding"

Lottie tried not to smile at that as she followed the Maester into the keep. She hadn't been in this part of the castle before, this was the heart of it where the royal family were housed. Her own rooms were in the west wing and she found everything she needed there and had not seen any reason to venture into the other parts of the castle until now.

"_If you kept to your own chambers you wouldn't see such things!"_

That was all she ever heard from her mother. _Keep to your own chambers. _Or even better. _Do as you're told and mind your own business. _Sound advice. It had served her well in her marriage she supposed. She wasn't married now though. She was a free woman who had made her own mind up about coming to the North. It was up to her to make decisions now. There was no one to tell her what to do anymore so how was she supposed to do what she was told? Her mother would be horrified. That brought the smile back to her face.

Maester Vernon hesitated slightly at the door of the chambers she assumed must house the Lady Arya. He seemed to be steeling himself and she waited patiently for him to get himself together and push open the door.

"You took your time!" a furious voice greeted him as soon as he strode in.

Lottie raised her eyebrows slightly at the sight of the young girl sat on the edge of the bed with a bloodied rag pressed against her arm. She was not a Lady in appearance, her hair scraped back messily and secured with a leather tie and her body clothed in breeches and a tunic rather than a dress.

"What was it this time?" the Maester sighed at her.

"Sword," the girl answered, "Gendry got me distracted and then he stabbed me"

"Charming," the Maester muttered, gingerly lifting up the rag that hid the damage.

"Will it need stitching?" she asked him then.

"Yes," he said after a moment, "and it's going to sting"

The girl grimaced at that and the Maester stood up and began rummaging in his supply bag that he had discarded on a side table. The Lady Arya contemplated Lottie then and she felt utterly bare under the younger girl's intense gaze.

"Who are you?" she finally asked.

"Lottie … Lottie Morvay," she introduced herself with a smile.

"Arya Stark," she replied after a moment.

"A pleasure my Lady," Lottie curtseyed slightly.

"Arya is fine," she said with another grimace, "I saw you the other day; you arrived with Robb"

"Yes," Lottie nodded, uncomfortable with the searching look the girl was giving her.

"What are you to him?" Arya asked her, her eyes boring into hers.

"Nothing," Lottie said honestly and she saw the Maester shift uncomfortably as he began preparing Arya's wound for stitching.

"He brought you back here for a reason," Arya persisted and Lottie swallowed hard.

"He saved me from two men who set on me in woodland near where he was camped," she told her.

"And?" Arya coaxed, barely feeling the sting of the needle the Maester had just pricked into her skin.

"And his Grace was most kind to me, he allowed me to travel north with him," she said.

"Why?" Arya said, the suspicion still on her face.

"Because there was nothing left for me in the south but bad memories," Lottie said.

"You're running away," Arya concluded.

"Perhaps that's true, but I have my reasons for it," Lottie said, meeting her eyes again.

"Things always catch up to you in the end," she said, looking much older than her true age.

"Believe me, some things I will never escape," Lottie said and Arya nodded in understanding.

They were silent for a moment, both of them still considering the other, wondering how best to continue on as the Maester worked on stitching Arya's arm. Lottie understood the younger girl's suspicion of her well enough. She would be suspicious too in her position, it was clear she felt fiercely protective over her brother and it made Lottie slightly sad. She never had any siblings to take care of. No brothers or sisters to take care of her. She just had her mother and she wasn't so sure that that was a blessing. Her father had been distant – not that she blamed him, her mother irritated him just as much as she did her. She didn't blame him for escaping as often as he could. The Gods knew she would hide away too if she could.

"_She wasn't always like this … once she was young and full of laughter"_

She wondered if that's what people from her childhood would say about her if they could set eyes on her now. Sadness consumed her just as it had consumed her mother. Her mother had never known the loss of a child, she just mourned for all those moons life didn't take form inside her. Lottie had been her only daughter, her only child. Her birth had been difficult and the string of Maester's that came from far and wide to speak with her concluded that it was likely the trauma had left her unable to bear any more children. She had Lottie and that was it. No more. No chance of any more. Her mother still prayed though and she still hoped that perhaps the Maester's were wrong. Lottie wasn't sure if her mother had ever loved her. Perhaps it was eroded away over time just like her smile. Perhaps she resented her for leaving her barren and empty.

Lottie knew that feeling all too well.

"_We'll be blessed again Lottie … it won't end up like last time"_

They weren't blessed again. Lyndon had been snuffed out just like Arthur before they had even got the chance. She wondered if she would ever get the chance again. Perhaps some kind Northman would take a shine to her. Perhaps she would let herself care for him. Perhaps he wouldn't mind that she wasn't unspoiled and innocent any more. Perhaps it wouldn't matter that her last name was Lannister. Perhaps. Perhaps …

"Can you swing a sword?" Arya's voice had her snapping out of it.

"No," Lottie said, shaking her head.

"Wield a bow?" she asked.

"No," Lottie said again and Arya sighed heavily.

"Of course not," she said.

"My mother would never have allowed it," Lottie told her.

"Your mother isn't here now," Arya said slyly.

"No," Lottie agreed, a small smile creeping onto her face.

"You know," Arya said, "I think you would be rather good with the bow."

* * *

Robb frowned as he heard the laughter coming from down the corridor, scraping his chair back and striding to the door. One of the voices sounded like Arya, he didn't recognise the other laugh though and it puzzled him who was in the keep with his sister. It was Lottie, he saw, when he pulled open the door and glanced down the hallway to see her chattering lightly with his little sister outside Arya's chamber door. The Maester emerged then and Robb knew at once that Arya had been out in the tiltyard again and would no doubt soon have another impressive scar to add to her collection. He scowled as he left his study and walked down towards where Lottie and Arya were still stood.

"What have you done this time?" he demanded.

"Just scratched my arm," she said innocently and he snorted.

"Perhaps Lady Morvay will tell me the truth?" he suggested with raised eyebrows.

"She's all patched up your Grace," Lottie said just as innocently.

"Let me see," Robb said pointedly, holding his hand out for Arya's arm.

"Fine," she huffed and tugged up her sleeve.

"That's going to be an impressive one," he said with a slight smile and she grinned at him.

"Damn it Robb! I actually thought you were mad at me!" she exclaimed, swatting him away.

"Will you at least try and be more careful?" he asked her seriously.

"Yes, yes," she waved his suggestion away and rolled her eyes.

"Arya …" he said warningly.

"Yes," she said firmly, "now I need to go and find Gendry and tell him I won't be losing my arm!"

With that she almost skipped away and Robb watched her with a ghost of a smile on his face. Lottie cleared her throat slightly then and he jumped, he had almost forgotten she was there. She smiled at him when he turned back to her and he did his best to return it.

"She really is fine your Grace," she told him.

"Thank you," he said, "for helping … she seemed quite taken with you"

"She is determined to teach me to shoot an arrow," Lottie told him darkly and he snorted.

"That sounds likely to be most entertaining," he said lightly.

"Or most embarrassing," she said with a raised brow, "or dangerous"

"I'm sure you'll do just fine my Lady," he assured her.

"We shall see," she said and he managed another smile.

"Would you care to share a drink with me?" he asked her then on a whim.

"Oh," she blushed slightly, "I wouldn't want to bother your Grace"

"It's no bother," he said, "I grow rather tired of my own company"

"I know that feeling well enough," she said sympathetically and he raised his brows.

"I could give you some advice on shooting straight?" he suggested with another small smile.

"Alright," she said, returning his smile; "the Gods know I need all the help I can get."

He almost laughed then at the look of sheer dread on her face before he turned and led the way back down to his study. She looked around when she stepped inside and he contemplated her as he poured them both a large measure of wine. She looked more at peace and far more relaxed than the other times he had spent time in her company. It seemed she was taking well to the North. It suited her.

"Thank you your Grace," she said when he handed her wine to her.

He frowned slightly, suddenly realising how ridiculous it was that she addressed him so formally when they had shared such dark memories with one another. She was the only person living besides him who had known that Roslin had been carrying a baby when she had been killed. He had shared that with her and yet everything between them seemed so stiff and awkward.

"Robb," he said after another moment of silence, "please call me Robb"

"I don't think that's entirely proper," she returned.

"It feels wrong you being so formal with me," he told her.

"You're the King," she said simply.

"But right now right here I am just a man," he countered.

"You are never just a mere man," she said, one of her eyebrows raising.

"Very well," he sighed, "I could just command you to call me Robb"

"You could," she said, a small smile playing on her lips, "… your Grace"

"I think you and Arya will get on a little too well," he growled before taking a sip of wine.

She laughed despite herself at that and his own lips quirked up slightly. He was aware of it now but the guilt that usually flooded him when he smiled didn't seem quite so consuming with Lottie there. She knew grief too, she had great pain inside her but she still managed to smile. _Time. _That's what she had told him. That's what so many people had told him. Looking at her now though he finally started to believe it. Maybe she was right after all. Surely it was a good thing that he could still find it in him to smile? Roslin had always been smiling. She had always made him smile.

"_Definitely not unsmiling," she grinned up at him as she stroked her hand down his cheek._

"_Not with you," he said, nudging his nose playfully against hers. _

"_Will you promise me something Robb?" she asked him seriously and he pulled back to look at her._

"_Anything you want," he said and her lips tilted upwards again. _

"_I want you to smile every day," she said and he leant back in to capture her lips. _

He blinked rapidly and saw Lottie looking at him in concern. He wished she wouldn't. He couldn't stand any more pitying looks. He drained his glass then and when he looked back at her she was no longer looking at him but examining the books on his shelf.

"Were you thinking of her?" she asked him softly, still not looking at him.

"Yes," he said, moving to pour himself another glass of wine.

"It creeps up on you doesn't it?" she said knowingly and he nodded.

"All the time," he confessed.

"Was it a good memory?" she questioned him, finally turning to look at him.

"It was," he nodded, a slight frown on his face.

"Do you want to tell me?" she asked, her eyes meeting his.

"We were outside the Twins," he said after a moment, swallowing hard, "it was the day before the wedding, we'd escaped the madness of the keep for a little while … she asked me to promise her something …"

"What?" she whispered as he tailed off.

"She wanted me to promise that I would smile every day," he told her, blinking furiously again.

"And you haven't," she said knowingly.

"No," he agreed, shaking his head.

"Well I've seen you smile today … perhaps I will see you smile tomorrow as well," she said.

"Perhaps," he said.

"Come and watch me in the tiltyard, if that doesn't have you laughing nothing will," she joked.

"I might just do that," he said, a more genuine smile almost reaching his eyes.

"There's another one," she smiled back, "it gets easier the more you do it."

* * *

Catelyn frowned when she saw Lottie emerging from Robb's study, her son following close behind her. She paused where she was and shrank back into the shadows so they wouldn't catch sight of her in the fading light of the hallway. They weren't touching but they were standing close to one another, speaking in hushed tones. She was unable to make out any of the words they said to one another but that did not stop her feeling uneasy. After what seemed like an age Lottie broke away and retreated down the hallway and out of sight. Robb had watched her go before turning to go back into his study. Catelyn stayed where she was for a moment, thinking hard. Eventually she made up her mind and marched down the hallway and pounded on the door of Robb's study. He flung open the door after a moment the look of panic in his eyes fading when he set eyes on her.

"Is something wrong?" he asked her.

"What was that woman doing here?" she countered, stepping passed him and into the room.

"Do you mean Lady Morvay?" he questioned with a sigh.

"Yes I mean her," she said, "you ought to be more careful, people will talk"

"What on earth do you mean?" he asked her, a deep frown setting in.

"You spending time alone with a beautiful young woman," she said, raising her eyebrow.

"That's no one's business but mine," he almost snarled.

"You're King Robb, it's everyone's business whether you like it or not," she stated.

"If I want to spend time with Lottie I will," he snapped.

"What is she to you Robb?" his mother asked him, her eyes confused.

"She's my friend," he said at once.

"Is that all it is?" she pressed him.

"Yes," he snapped again, "what else would it be?!"

"She's beautiful," she stated.

"She's not my wife," he returned at once.

"Jeyne Westerling wasn't your wife," she said quietly.

"That was different," he said shortly.

"Was it?" she questioned, "Robb, it would be completely understandable that in your grief …"

"I could just fuck another woman and all the pain over Roslin would go away?!" he almost shouted.

"That you might seek comfort in another's bed," she finished calmly.

"I have a little more respect for my dead wife than that," he snarled.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"Lottie's my friend," he said with finality, "I can talk to her about Roslin and she understands"

"Alright," Catelyn said softly, she had pushed him far enough, best she stopped now.

"Now is that all mother? Because if it is I have lots to be getting on with," he said shortly.

"That's all," she nodded, "I'll leave you now"

"Thank you," he said tersely and she managed a smile for him before retreating from the room.

Once out in the hallway she considered his words again. They were just friends. She had no reason not to believe him, he had been almost horrified that Catelyn could even think he was bedding her. Lottie Lannister was a beautiful woman though and beautiful women were dangerous. They were always a threat no matter how sweet and innocent they appeared. If Robb fell for her it would be bad for the North. His Lords would be unhappy and no doubt so would his people. She may only be a Lannister by marriage but it was her name that would stick in the minds of the people not her bloodline. It didn't help that she was so fair. She looked like a Lannister. Catelyn sighed. Just friends Robb had said. She wasn't stupid though, she knew friendships could easily develop into something more.

"_Robb?" she asked tentatively._

"_I can't sleep," he told her._

"_What's bothering you?" she questioned him in concern._

"_Jeyne," he muttered._

"_You did the right thing," she soothed._

"_I dishonoured her," he hissed, "I dishonoured myself! What would father think of me?!"_

He would have been proud. That's what Catelyn had told him. Ned would have been proud of him for keeping his promise and keeping his alliance with the Frey's intact. They needed the Frey's. Only a few weeks later they were marching for the last time, marching right up to the gates of King's Landing. Robb didn't have time to dwell on Jeyne after that. Then he had met Roslin and Catelyn doubted that he would ever so much as spare a second thought for the Westerling girl. Roslin had him as soon as she looked at him. A blessing and a curse, Catelyn thought sadly as she walked slowly back towards her own chambers.

"_I am hers and she is mine, from this day until the end of my days."_

* * *

_She had never seen his eyes light up the way they did when he pushed open the door of the room and took in the sight of her sat up against the pillows with their son in her arms. He had never looked at her like that, not even on their wedding day when even she could admit that she looked stunningly beautiful. He looked at her now with the most wondrous expression on his face and she couldn't help the wide smile that stretched across her lips. _

"_They tell me we have a son," he smiled then, pausing at the foot of the bed._

"_They tell you true," she said, unable to keep the tone of sheer glee from her voice._

"_Thank you Lottie," he told her seriously then, "thank you."_

Lottie snapped her eyes back to the mirror then and snatched up her brush from the side of the dressing table. Her usually straight blonde hair fell in waves from the northern braids she had woven into it that day. She liked the northern styles that the women wore around Winterfell but she much preferred to let her hair fall loose and tumble down her back where it stopped just before the base of her spine. That was one thing that Lyndon had truly loved about her. He wouldn't take his eyes from her when she brushed her hair through before bed and on the rare occasions when he slept by her side he would stroke his hand gently through it until sleep came for her.

Sometimes she lay in bed at night and missed the soothing touch.

_His hand tangled hard in the hair at the back of her head as she sobbed against him, part of her wanting to beat him away from her, the other part never wanting him to release her from his arms. He sniffed hard then and she knew he was trying to hold his emotions in check. His hand tightened in her hair and her own fisted more tightly into his doublet. _

That day. That day she had never wanted anything more that her husband's strong embrace.

That day he cried. She had never seen him shed tears before and never after. It was just that one day. That one moment when they lay so tight in one another's embrace. She had felt the tears before she had seen them. Her own had long since stopped. She wasn't sure she even had the ability to cry any more. She had reached her hand up and he had leant into her touch.

He was craving her affection.

For the first time ever he was seeking comfort and affection from her and she could do nothing but give it to him as he had given it to her.

They were together in that. Their grief had brought them together. That thought made her want to cry as she remembered it, blinking back tears as she stared at her reflection in the mirror.

There had been no great love between her and Lyndon. No one would ever write songs about their passion and devotion. They cared though. They cared for one another. No, she hadn't loved him. But that didn't mean she couldn't miss him.

* * *

**A/N: **I did promise smiles and there were _some _in there!

Hope you enjoyed it, thoughts would be amazing.

Next one probably Tuesday or Wednesday.

:)


	5. V

**A/N: **Here's a new one guys. Some more Lottie/Arya & Lottie/Robb interaction. Hope you all like it.

Please let me know!

:)

* * *

**V**

* * *

"This was a terrible idea," Lottie said and Arya smirked at her.

"Oh come on … you're getting better," the younger girl told her.

"Yes maybe one day I'll actually hit the right target," Lottie drawled and Arya bit back a laugh.

"You need to relax," Arya told her and she snorted.

"This is stupid," she said.

"Being able to defend yourself isn't stupid," Arya said seriously.

"The war is over," Lottie rolled her eyes.

"The war was over when you were alone in those woods," Arya countered at once.

Lottie scowled, she hated being reminded of that, of how helpless she had felt when those repulsive men had pinned her down to the floor. Wildly she had thought of Lyndon and how angry he would be that another man was taking what was his. His possessive streak had amused her as much as it had irritated her. It was irrational – of course she would never lay with another man. She had sworn vows. Then again, so had he and he broke them on an almost nightly basis.

"Do you have to bring that up?" Lottie asked her calmly as she notched another arrow.

"Imagine he's standing right there," Arya persisted.

"Arya …" Lottie began warningly.

"And the centre is his big, ugly, repulsive face," she continued.

Lottie took a deep breath, it was all too easy to remember that man. Forcing himself between her legs, his disgusting hands touching her bare skin as he wrenched up her skirts. The hot, crushing weight of him as he had collapsed against her. The relief and panic mingling together when she realised that he was dead. The flash of anger in the King's eyes as he'd pulled him off her.

She let go then and the arrow flew. Amazingly she had hit the target she had been aiming for. It was by no means perfect but it had stuck firmly into one of the outer rings and she allowed herself a proud smile. Arya cheered her and she wanted to swat the girl but refrained from doing so as she saw the King striding across the yard with what looked suspiciously like amusement shining in his eyes. She offered him a smile and his lips twitched up in response.

He did smile every day now, she made sure of it. Sometimes it reached his bright blue eyes and sometimes it didn't. At least he was trying.

"You hit it," he stated.

"Yes indeed your Grace, three weeks of training have not been utterly wasted," she returned.

"Indeed," he said, that amused look dancing in his eyes again.

"I suppose some credit should go to my wonderful teacher," she said sarcastically.

"Hey, you hit it didn't you?!" Arya protested.

"I suppose," Lottie huffed.

"Even if you did have to provoke her into it," Robb said sternly, fixing his sister with a look.

"It worked didn't it," Arya shrugged.

"You shouldn't be so insensitive," Robb scolded.

"It's fine," Lottie jumped in before Arya could retort, "like she says, it worked"

"I don't like to think of you upset," he said then, meeting her eyes.

"I wasn't upset," she assured him, holding his gaze, "they don't upset me, they anger me"

"Anger's good … if you use it right," Arya put in then.

"I'm fine," Lottie told him, her eyes still on his as he continued gazing at her intently.

"Alright," he finally huffed, accepting her assurances.

* * *

The start of the next week dawned cold but bright. Frost covered the window panes as Robb stirred awake. He blinked sleepily for a moment when he realised that it was morning. He hadn't woken in the night. He frowned slightly then, it had been so long since he had slept all the way through.

Fifty eight days.

Fifty eight days ago had been the last time he had slept all through the night. The last time he had not woken in darkness, sweat drenched as shaking as he imagined that it had all been one hideous mistake. That he would turn his head and see her sleeping warm and peaceful by his side. That he could lay back down against her pillows and wrap himself around her as she murmured sleepily something nonsensical about needing to go out and get more silks. She spoke in her sleep. She always denied it and it always made him laugh. Most things she said made no sense. Once she had ordered him to go outside and tame the wolf. That had bewildered him. He asked her in the morning if she had been dreaming of Grey Wind but she had frowned at him and told him she had no memory of dreaming about his wolf.

Sometimes though, sometimes she would mumble his name and murmur such sweet things that had him in a good mood for the rest of the day. He never told her what she said when it was about him. Part of him was afraid that she would frown at him and say she had not been dreaming of him. He preferred to think that she was dreaming of him, it made him feel warm inside.

He pulled himself out of bed then and decided he would spend the day outside. The sun was shining and he knew it wouldn't be doing that for much longer. The frost on the window panes only confirmed to him the winter was coming and coming fast. He thought vaguely of Lottie as he dressed himself. She had not stepped outside the walls of Winterfell since she had arrived and he thought that perhaps she would like to see the wolfswood. No doubt she would. He pulled on his boots then and marched out of the door – hopefully she would have risen already and he wouldn't be disturbing her.

"_What's beyond the walls?" she asked him curiously as he skipped another stone across the Trident._

"_Hills," he told her, "great open spaces, nothing for leagues and leagues"_

"_Is that all?" she asked him sceptically and he chuckled as he sized up another stone._

"_There are some villages," he told her, glancing back and seeing her eyes fixed firmly on him._

"_Are there wildlings?" she asked him then and he skimmed another stone._

"_Some in the wolfswood," he told her._

"_The wolfswood?" she questioned him and he turned to face her as she frowned slightly._

"_The trees outside Winterfell, there is a beautiful stream at the bottom of them," he said._

"_Will you take me there?" she asked, an almost longing expression on her beautiful face._

"_Of course I will," he promised her and she smiled that devastating smile in response. _

He shook his head to clear it of thoughts of her. If she had wanted him to smile every day she was going to have to stop haunting him every time his mind became unfocused. Maybe one day thinking about her wouldn't make his heart ache. Maybe one day thinking about her would be the thing that brought a smile to his face. Maybe one day. But it wasn't this day.

Lottie answered almost immediately after he knocked on her door and he forced a smile to his face that he knew she would see right through. She said nothing though. She never said anything, if he wanted to talk about Roslin she would listen but she never brought her up. It was the same for her, if she wanted to talk about her husband or son she would but he never mentioned them. Somehow their unspoken arrangement worked for both of them and he found himself almost depending on seeing her every day.

"Good morning your Grace, this is a surprise," she said brightly.

"Will you ever call me Robb?" he asked her.

"Will you ever call me Lottie?" she countered and he smiled properly.

"If you call me Robb," he said.

"Do we really want to run round these circles again?" she questioned.

"Perhaps not now … I did come for a reason," he replied.

"And what would that be your Grace?" she asked and he rolled his eyes.

"The sun is shining by the grace of the Gods," he said and she smirked.

"I saw," she said, waiting for him to continue.

"And I fancy a ride in the wolfswood, would you like to accompany me?" he asked her.

"Just us your Grace?" she questioned him, almost looking apprehensive.

"Is my company so unappealing?" he asked teasingly.

"No of course not," she blushed, "but shouldn't a King have guards?"

"The war is over … and I am more than capable of scaring away wildlings," he said.

"Right …" she said, biting her lip slightly and he sighed heavily.

"Grey Wind will come too," he told her and her features instantly relaxed.

"I would love to ride out to the wolfswood with you," she told him then and he smiled genuinely.

* * *

Lottie took in her surroundings with wide eyes and he couldn't help the smile that tugged on his lips as she gazed around. Her eyes were grey. He had never noticed that before. All this time he had thought them blue. Perhaps they were, he thought as he kept his own on her, a stormy blue. The colour of the angry sea when thunder and lightning crashed overhead. She turned her head to him then, her blonde hair falling free about her shoulders and smiled widely. He smiled back, for some inexplicable reason he thought of Theon and simultaneously wanted to laugh and cry.

She frowned slightly at the look that came over his face. It wasn't quite the look that came over him when he thought of his wife but it was almost as conflicted.

"What is it?" she asked softly.

"I was just thinking about a man I used to know," he said, dismounting his horse.

"Oh?" she said curiously as he came to her side and helped her down from her own mount.

"An old friend … almost like a brother," he said almost wistfully.

"And why pray tell would you think of him when you were looking at me?" she asked teasingly.

"He used to bring women out here to woo them," he told her.

"Did he now?" she questioned, raising one of her eyebrows.

"He had quite the way with the ladies," he chuckled slightly.

"Well I can understand why he brought them here … it's beautiful," she said, glancing around again.

"I'm sure you would have been far too clever to fall for his charms," he commented.

"One would hope so," she said, smiling wryly.

"It wouldn't have stopped him trying though," he said as he tied their horses securely to a tree.

"What happened to him?" she asked, regretting her decision at once as she saw the look on his face.

"A thousand terrible things," he said, "he paid the price a thousand times for his betrayal"

"He betrayed you?" she questioned despite herself.

"Yes," he said simply.

"Who?" she asked.

"Theon Greyjoy," he told her and she slowly nodded, the story coming back to her with Lyndon's voice.

"Never mind him now," she said and he nodded his agreement.

"No," he said, "come … I'll take you down to the stream, it's a lovely walk along the banks"

She smiled brightly and took his arm when he hesitantly offered. She placed her hand lightly to gauge his reaction. He stiffened for a moment but soon relaxed as they began their walk and she allowed her own tension to leave her. She had never held any man's arm like this besides her father's and Lyndon's. She imagined Roslin would have held the King's arm like this too and she could only imagine the courage he would have had to summon up to offer it to her. It was a simple gesture. Really what did laying a hand on someone's arm really mean? It did mean something though and it meant a lot that he had let her do something so familiar. Something his wife would have done. Something like a friend might do. She looked up at him then and was glad to see his expression was smooth as they continued along in companionable silence.

"Thank you for bringing me here Robb," she told him quietly after a moment.

* * *

They didn't return until the sun was setting and their stomachs were growling with hunger. The day had been perfect for both of them although neither of them admitted it to the other. It was just what they had needed. What they had both needed, just to get out beyond the walls and lose themselves in the great expanse of the wild for a time. They had laughed. Both of them. Properly. Robb hadn't laughed since Roslin had gone. He had forced a chuckle. He had snorted in amusement but he hadn't laughed. Not until he walked along those peaceful banks with Lottie's hand resting lightly in the crook of his arm.

He had thought he would feel guilt but it hadn't risen up in him like he'd expected. He had felt strange he could not deny it but it wasn't a feeling of guilt. The ache for Roslin was still there throbbing just beneath the surface but spending the day with Lottie had eased it slightly. When he had laughed with her the feeling of sheer joy had overwhelmed the hurt for one shining, miraculous moment. Would Roslin be pleased for him if she was looking down on him now? Would she be pleased that he had found a few blissful seconds of happiness without her? She was far too kind to begrudge him a moment of joy, he knew that. She would smile when he smiled. Just like she always did.

"_I forgive you Robb … I love you"_

He smiled slightly again then. When he thought of Roslin now it didn't just hurt. Mostly it did. Mostly it ached, pain throbbing down to the depths of his bones. But a tiny part of him could smile when he thought about her, about how wonderful she had been. That tiny part accepted she was gone. He wondered how long it would take for that tiny part to grow and consume the rest of the ache. _Time. _How much he didn't know. Just time.

"Thank you for today," he told Lottie seriously as they stopped in front of the door to the west wing.

"You're welcome … and thank you," she replied just as seriously.

"Perhaps if the sun ever comes out again we can go back," he said almost shyly.

"I'd like that," she told him meaningfully, "I would really like that"

"Thank you for making me laugh Lottie," he said, meeting her eyes.

"It felt good didn't it?" she smiled slightly sadly.

"It did," he agreed, returning her smile.

"Sleep well Robb," she said seriously.

"You too," he returned, hesitating slightly before placing a feather light kiss to her cheek.

He walked away then and Lottie let out her breath. His lips however brief on her skin had made it flush warm. She touched the spot in a slightly dazed manner before realising that she must look ridiculous. She was also hungry, so very hungry. As if in response to her thoughts her stomach let out a loud growl and she turned to let herself into the keep. Spending the day with Robb had been wonderful. She sincerely hoped that the sun would shine again.

* * *

Catelyn watched Robb suspiciously at dinner. She knew he had been out for the day with Lottie and the thought made her uneasy. He spent a great deal of time with her and while she knew better than to confront him again about it she couldn't help but worry that the line of friendship would eventually blur. Lottie was beautiful. Robb was a man, albeit a grieving one at the moment. His grief wouldn't last forever though and when it lifted his Lords would be encouraging him to find a new wife. Was it really so difficult to imagine that when he finally accepted that fact that his mind would go straight to the beautiful blonde woman who had been such a comfort to him?

Catelyn sighed. She knew damn well that Lottie Lannister would not be a popular choice for Queen. The Lords, the people even, would want a northern Queen. They had accepted Roslin as she was the price of a marriage pact. She was the beautiful reminder that their King was an honest one who kept his promises. She showed he had honour. They would never accept Lottie Lannister, or any other southern Lady who would fancy herself as Queen in the North. The North and the south did not mix and Robb was going to have to be reminded of that before it was too late and he went and got himself involved too deeply with Lottie.

"Did you have a nice day?" she finally managed to ask her son, keeping her voice even.

"I did," he nodded, his eyes on his dinner as he cut up his meat.

"Where did you ride out to?" she asked, her tone still light.

"The wolfswood," he told her.

"Alone?" she pressed.

"Lottie came with me," he said, his tone was not cagey and she let her own suspicions drop.

"I see," she said, taking a sip of wine.

"She's a good friend," he stressed.

"I didn't say a word," she protested.

"You know if you spent some time with her you might like her," he said almost hopefully.

"We'll see," she said, her tone slightly harder.

"She's a good woman mother," he said quietly but forcefully.

"And a southern one," she stressed and his hands clenched slightly around his cutlery.

"What does that matter?" he asked her.

"It doesn't," she said, "so long as she is only a good friend"

Robb didn't reply. He knew what his mother was insinuating and he didn't like it. Just the mere thought of being with another woman, even one as beautiful as Lottie, made his stomach twist in knots. Not the good kind of knots either. The bad kind. The kind that made him miss his wife so badly he thought his heart would split open. He wasn't ready. He wasn't even close to ready. He knew he would have to marry again eventually but it was just a tiny little stab at the back of his mind that he paid no attention to unless someone drew him to it. He would have to take another wife so he could have an heir and keep the now independent North strong. It was his responsibility. His duty.

It was just one that he wasn't ready to acknowledge yet. Let alone perform.

* * *

The next morning Catelyn decided to heed Robb's advice and perhaps go out and talk to Lottie. Perhaps speaking with the girl would put her mind at rest and lessen her fears about her son's intentions. Maester Vernon had told her that Lottie was out in the tiltyard with Arya – the two spent a lot of time together despite the age difference. Catelyn was slightly reassured that it wasn't just Robb who found Lottie to be good company. Perhaps it was telling. It took a lot for her youngest daughter to take to someone, she was very naturally suspicious. If Arya trusted Lottie then maybe just maybe Catelyn was worrying for nothing.

She doubted it though as she entered the tiltyard, her eyes narrowing of their own accord as she took in the scene that greeted her. Robb had his hand placed all too easily on Lottie's hip. He was correcting her stance as she stood there with a bow in hand but Catelyn saw it was much, much more than that. When Lottie and Robb met eyes there was an intensity there that made apprehension brew up inside Catelyn in an instant. Robb could deny it all he wanted – and he would if she dared confront him about it – but Catelyn was not stupid. Lottie had him hooked whether he knew it or not. He would dance to whatever tune the girl would play to him and Catelyn would be powerless to stop it. He may not realise it yet but when he did Lottie would have him. She had snared him and Catelyn was realising it far too late.

Arya spotted her then and waved her over, shouting her greeting in a rather undignified manner. Catelyn sighed heavily, she had given up trying to teach her daughter any proper manners. It was no good. It was a waste of her time and Arya's. She accepted her for the way she was, even more so since she had been separated from her for so long. They were in a camp eight days from Riverrun when the news had come.

"_Your Grace! My Lady! Word from Riverrun!" the messenger gasped out, glee on his face._

"_What is it?!" Robb demanded of him, his expression almost hungry._

"_The little Lady Arya has been delivered into the hands of Lord Tully," he told them._

_Catelyn almost collapsed in relief, her hands digging sharply into Robb's forearm as she steadied herself. He didn't seem to care, he was too busy laughing out his own relief. _

As Catelyn walked closer Robb finally moved his hand from Lottie's hip and she loosed the bow. The smile on his face when she hit the target well only served to make the feeling of dread in Catelyn rise up even higher. She hadn't seen him smile like that in so long.

"Told you that you could do it," Robb murmured as Catelyn came to a stop a few paces away.

"Thanks to weeks of my expert training," Arya almost snarled at him and Lottie giggled lightly.

"Yes indeed," she agreed, "thank you to both of you," she said meaningfully.

"You're welcome," Arya said brightly.

"Any time," Robb said, his eyes back on hers, the unease in Catelyn dangerously close to spilling out.

"Do you want a go mother?" Arya asked her mischievously then.

"No I do not," Catelyn forced a laugh.

"How are you today mother?" Robb asked her then.

"Well indeed thank you … and you?" she replied.

"Well," he nodded, his eyes unconsciously drifting towards Lottie again.

"Good," she forced a smile to him, his returning one small but genuine.

Catelyn swallowed hard then and walked to sit on one of the benches, her eyes still fixed on the three of them as they continued on with their practice. Robb didn't place his hands on Lottie again but his eyes barely left her and that for Catelyn was far worse. The war was supposed to be over. Robb would risk his Lords displeasure and maybe even a revolt if he chose a wife they didn't approve of and she knew damn well that they would not approve of Lottie Lannister.

* * *

**A/N: **So it's getting a bit happier right?

More at the weekend most likely.

:)


	6. VI

**A/N: **Hey guys, another new chapter for you all.

Thoughts would be incredible!

:)

* * *

**VI**

* * *

_Ten tiny fingers and ten tiny toes. Lottie just wondered at them, spreading them out gently with her own fingers and smiling widely when he clamped his own around one of hers. His grip was tight for one so small, gazing up at her as he gurgled loudly. His eyes were still that baby blue but they were slowly darkening – she imagined they would end up the almost black of Lyndon's. Lyndon had such beautiful eyes. She had told him that once and he had snorted at her and told her to stop reading so many stories. She hadn't been offended – she had seen the corners of his mouth twitch up and she knew she had made him happy with her compliment. She would tell Arthur when he was old enough what beautiful eyes he had and not to bewitch too many young maidens with them. Her son would be so handsome. He would be so utterly perfect just as he was now as he lay contentedly in her arms._

Lottie jerked awake, feeling her long hair sticking to the back of her neck in a cold sweat. It was just before dawn she could tell by the slowly fading darkness. She would never get back to sleep now. Not today. Not after that dream.

She swallowed hard, the dream had been so real that when she had woken she could almost feel the weight of him in her arms. Safe. Secure. Loved. Why hadn't that been enough? What had she done wrong? How had she offended the Gods so badly that they had seen fit to take her baby away?

"_Close his eyes … he is with the Gods now."_

His eyes had never changed from that baby blue. They had never become the deep brown pools of his father's that she knew they would have been. She could barely look Lyndon in the eye after that day, scared of what she might see in them. Scared she might see blame and anger. Even more scared that she might see her son.

Had it really been that long?

It seemed like yesterday.

She threw the furs and blankets off her then and climbed out of bed and into the freezing cold air. It made her gasp, somehow surprised that she could even still feel. She felt utterly numb. Today it felt like it was yesterday. That her baby had only just gone. She slipped off her nightdress and hurriedly pulled on a shift and tied a warm dress around her before adding the furs that Robb had kindly had made for her. Winter was coming, he had told her with a completely serious face. Most likely he was right, the temperature seemed to drop every day, the frost on the windows lingering further into the morning every day. When she was dressed she let herself quietly out of the room and walked towards the one place she hoped would bring her at least some comfort and solace.

"_It wasn't your fault do you hear me? It was no one's fault! Lottie! Do you hear me?!"_

She could almost feel Lyndon's strong grip on the top of her arms as he had shaken her and forced her to look him in the eyes. He had had a slightly maniacal look about him. He was desperate. She hadn't left her room in over a month. She hadn't even got dressed. She only bathed and changed into new nightdresses because her maids forced her to. He had had enough. The next day she came out of her rooms and neither of them spoke about the day before.

"_You look at me! You pull yourself together because you are my wife and I am sick of seeing you like this – tomorrow you get dressed and you come out! You are far too young and far too beautiful to waste away in a room tormented by grief! You come out Lottie or so help me I will dress you myself and drag you out – I won't have this anymore!"_

It had hurt but it had worked. Lyndon had the right of it. Tip-toeing around her and talking in hushed tones did no good. All that did was make her retreat further into herself. He had snapped her out of whatever daze she had been in. The grief was still there but she had managed to pick herself up and carry on. The next thing she knew Lyndon was gone. The hurt was different for him but it was still there. Then she was all alone. Everything that she had known since she was fifteen years old and been sent to marry a stranger was gone. Now she was a widow of nineteen and she had no idea how to be on her own.

She still wasn't sure if she knew how to be on her own.

"_In the end we can only ever rely on ourselves – remember that Charlotte – everyone else will desert you in the end, everyone but yourself."_

Lottie shuddered. The one voice she did not need reminding of today was her mothers. Robb had tried to coax her into writing her a letter – just to let her know that she was alright. Lottie doubted that she would even care. In the end he had worn her down enough that she consented to telling her father. All she said was that she was safe and that she had found a place in the North where she was almost happy. He hadn't replied. She hadn't really expected him too.

* * *

Robb had searched high and low for Lottie – he had even been out into the town and eventually to the stables where he asked if she had taken out a horse. She hadn't and he was just beginning to panic when he remembered what the date was and it hit him where she would be. He walked slowly, wondering what kind of state she would be in. Her baby. Her son Arthur would have celebrated his first name day today had he lived. Lottie had been quiet the day before and he had refrained from asking her anything. They had sat quietly in the library together – reading – or pretending to at least. Whenever Robb had looked up from his own book her eyes had been glazed and fixed on one spot. She wasn't taking in the words any more than he was.

He crept into the Sept slowly. It was one of the only places in Winterfell that he hardly ever entered – the other being the crypts. He worshipped the Old Gods as his father had, the Godswood was where he said his prayers; not inside like his mother did. Like Roslin had.

"_But who do you pray to?" she persisted._

"_The Old Gods," he laughed at her, he had told her this a dozen times and she was still confused._

"_But … don't they have names?" she frowned._

"_No," he laughed even harder at the pure look of bemusement on her face. _

"_Then … how do you know which one to pray too?" she frowned at him._

"_You just pray … there are no rules, not like with your Gods," he told her and her frown deepened. _

"_Do you wish we were getting married under the heart tree?" she asked him._

"_It doesn't matter where I marry you … just so long as I do," he smiled at her. _

He shook his head. He couldn't think about Roslin now. He needed to focus on Lottie – she would need him today. For once he would have to be the strong one. He approached carefully, not wanting to disturb her if she was praying. She was knelt before the mother, a candle lit at the feet of the statue. Robb swallowed had.

"_I pray to the mother every day that I will bear you a son and heir."_

"Lottie?" he said tentatively after a while of just watching her unmoving form.

"You're in the Sept," she said vaguely, her head slowly turning towards him.

"It has been known," he managed a smile for her.

"Is something wrong?" she asked him then.

"No of course not … I just wanted to see if you were alright … _today,_" he said meaningfully.

"You remembered," she said, meeting his eyes in faint surprise.

"Of course I did," he said softly.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Do you want to talk about him … or?" he tailed off, unsure now whether he should even be there.

"No," she shook her head, "will you just … just stay with me a while?"

"Of course I will," he said, shifting down so he could kneel down next to her.

He didn't know how long he stayed with her. Neither of them spoke. Lottie prayed sometimes, he knew she was praying when she closed her eyes and a tiny crease would appear between her eyebrows. He didn't pray. These Gods wouldn't answer him. He hoped they brought comfort to the woman knelt beside him though.

When the candle burnt right down and finally went out Lottie finally seemed to snap out of whatever trance she had been in. She looked almost surprised to see that all the wax had melted away. Robb wracked his mind for something comforting to say but nothing felt quite right. When he saw the single, solitary tear track its way down her cheek he felt his heart pang uncomfortably. Without thinking he reached out his hand and found one of hers. She didn't jerk away from his touch, if anything she clung to it as though it were the very thing keeping her anchored to the world. He kept his own pressure just as tight.

He wouldn't let go. Not until she wanted him to.

* * *

It was over a week before Robb saw Lottie smile properly at him again. They were walking in the gardens with Grey Wind bounding ahead of them, skittering after the leaves that were blowing more and more frequently from the trees. It always amazed Robb how the countless battles had not affected his wolf in the slightest, he brushed them off easily, still acting like a pup when he had the chance to. It was when he launched himself at one particular leaf and skid almost into the trunk of a tree that Lottie let out a rather unladylike snort of laughter. Robb looked down at her and saw the mirth shining in her eyes and he couldn't help but join her in her spontaneous fit of laughter, so glad that that light was back in her stormy eyes again.

Neither of them said anything but Robb noted the way that her steps had more of a spring to them than before and that her grip on his arm was that little bit tighter. It didn't feel strange anymore, he never hesitated before offering her his arm and she never hesitated to take it. Robb found it felt quite nice having that comforting pressure resting there in the crook of his elbow. Lottie in turn found she felt that little bit more secure when her hand was gripping onto Robb. He made her feel safer than she had felt in a long time and she was certain now that going north with him was the best decision she had ever made. _See that mother, _she told herself, _I am not helpless, I can make my own decisions and make them well. _

Her father had still not responded to the letter she had sent but she was trying not to dwell on it. Even though she had not really expected him to write back to her some small part of her had been hoping that he might. That he might just get a servant to send a quick note just to acknowledge that he had actually received her letter. She frowned slightly then – what if there was something wrong? What if something had happened and she had no idea?

"What are you frowning about?" Robb asked her, half in worry and half in amusement.

"Nothing important," she smiled but he noticed the crease still lining her brow.

"Fine," he sighed, "don't tell me"

"It's nothing … really," she stressed.

"Why don't you let me be the judge of that?" he questioned her seriously.

"Since when do you push me? You never push me," she said almost accusingly.

"Because I care Lottie … and I know this isn't about Arthur or Lyndon," he told her soothingly.

"How?" she asked him, her brow creasing even more.

"I don't know," he shrugged, "I just do … like how you know when I'm troubled over Roslin or when it's something else …"

"I suppose …" she said, still slightly apprehensive.

"If you really don't want to tell me …" he trailed off and she sighed in evident frustration.

"Fine," she huffed, "I never got a reply from my father"

"There's still time," he said simply.

"I was foolish to think he might reply," she said, shaking her head.

"Why?" he asked in confusion.

"Because … my family allegiance was always to the Lannister's, we were their sworn banners and I married into them … allegiances like that aren't just forgotten," she explained.

"You think they would be angry about where you are?" he questioned her.

"Look at it this way … say … Arya was married into a great northern house and her husband died and then instead of coming home to you she ran south with some Lannister Lord," she said.

"I suppose I see your point," he said after a moment, smiling slightly.

"No doubt they see what I have done as spoiling the family name," she said sadly.

"Do you regret coming?" he asked her seriously.

She went quiet for a moment, considering Robb's question and considering everything that had happened to her since she had been forced to leave her home. If she hadn't have come north then she would have found herself back with her parents if she had managed to survive the journey south. She wondered if they would have found another match for her by now. It would have been difficult to considering her name and her house's former allegiance. Still, she was young and pretty enough, why shouldn't she have found a match? If she really thought on it though she wasn't ready to marry again, not so soon after Arthur and even Lyndon. She may not have loved him but he was her husband and it felt wrong even considering being with another man like that just yet. She looked up at Robb then and saw his eyes were fixed on her face, waiting for her answer with an almost worried expression on his face.

"No," she smiled, meeting his eyes; "I don't regret it for a moment."

* * *

Catelyn was distracted by what Sansa was telling her about the cook's boy and the seamstresses new apprentice when she saw Robb strolling through the gardens with Lottie holding on tightly to his arm. He had not seen her yet, he was too busy looking down on his walking companion as she chattered away to him with a small smile playing about her face. It unnerved Catelyn how at ease Robb was with the woman – she didn't like it one bit. If a stranger were sat in her place and could see them together they would assume they were husband and wife, or at the very least betrothed. As happy as Catelyn was to see the smile on Robb's face again she couldn't help but wish that something else had put it there. Lottie Lannister was trouble. She could see that, so why couldn't Robb?

"Mother?" Sansa's questioning voice snapped her out of it.

"Hmm …?" she said, turning back to her daughter.

"It doesn't matter you weren't listening," Sansa sighed.

"I'm sorry," Catelyn said, "go on … tell me"

"It wasn't important," she said, "not compared with Robb"

"What do you mean?" Catelyn asked her.

"I saw you looking at him, you're still worried about him aren't you?" Sansa said knowingly.

"He lost his wife," she said by way of an explanation.

"He's getting better," Sansa said and Catelyn vaguely nodded.

"I know," she agreed, "I just worry about him"

"And Lottie?" Sansa guessed.

"I suppose," Catelyn muttered.

"I think she's nice," she said and Catelyn had to repress a snort.

"I didn't realise you spent any time with her," she said honestly.

"Well … she mostly spends time with Robb or Arya but she does embroidery with me sometimes … and she sits with Bran and Rickon when they have lessons in the library," Sansa told her.

"Does she now …" Catelyn murmured, fixing her eyes back on the blonde who had such a tight grip on her son's arm it looked likely she would never let go.

Robb was one thing but if Lottie was working her way in with the rest of her family then Catelyn would have to keep her eyes open. She would not let any more outsiders manipulate her family – they had been through enough and she would be damned if any more upset befell them. Perhaps she should talk to Robb again? She dismissed that almost as soon as she had thought it. Whenever she mentioned Lottie Robb would get defensive and she knew she would never get anything out of him. He was adamant that there was nothing but friendship in it and without proof Catelyn had no way to contradict him. She prayed to the Gods that she would never find any proof. She did not want that woman finding her way into her son's bed and trapping him. She would be damned if she would suffer another Jeyne Westerling. She had talked Robb out of that one but she wasn't sure if she would be able to manage it a second time.

"_You're doing the right thing Robb," she assured him as they rode away from the Crag._

"_It doesn't feel like the right thing," he almost snapped. _

"_Do you love her?" she questioned._

"_It's not about that," he scowled._

"_You think it's dishonourable to leave her bedded and unwed?" she guessed._

"_Of course it is," he hissed at her._

"_Do you not think it more dishonourable to break your promise to the Frey's? And in turn lose men and perhaps the war for one stupid mistake?" she asked firmly._

"_Perhaps," he muttered grudgingly._

"_This is the right thing I promise you Robb," she said, "and in the end you will see that."_

He had seen it in the end when he had found Roslin, as soon as he set eyes on her he had seen that she was right. This time though there was no Roslin waiting for him. This time if he so desired it she would not be able to stop him doing the honourable thing and taking Lottie as his wife. She could only pray that he would not be stupid enough to take the woman to his bed in the first place.

She looked over at them again as they slowly ambled through the trees.

She prayed again and not for the last time that she was wrong about where it was headed.

* * *

"Thank you for today," Lottie said honestly as Robb stopped them at the entrance to the west wing.

"I didn't do anything," he said and she smiled up at him.

"Actually I was talking to Grey Wind," she joked, thrilled when he laughed.

"Well in that case perhaps I will just send him to you in future," he said.

"Perhaps," she agreed, "then you would have more time for your Kingly duties"

"I would," he nodded, "but I much prefer spending time with you"

"Perhaps you can some along with Grey Wind then," she said with a wide smile on her face.

"If he permits me," Robb joked and she let out a slight laugh.

"You could try bribing him with prime meat?" she suggested and it was his turn to laugh.

"Not a bad idea," he nodded in mock seriousness.

"I should go in," she smiled regretfully then, "the wind is getting up again"

"Likely there'll be a storm tonight," he said knowingly and she grimaced slightly.

"Hopefully not all night," she said.

"I'll let you go," he said then, leaning in to brush his lips across her cheek as usual.

"Goodnight Robb," she smiled up at him then when he pulled away.

"Goodnight Lottie," he smiled back, stepping away from her as she turned and let herself in to the west wing of the keep.

Robb walked across the courtyard once she was safely inside as the first drops of rain began to fall from the darkened sky. He pulled his cloak more securely around himself and thought – not for the first time – that perhaps he should move Lottie into rooms in the main keep. It would mean not getting rained on every time he walked her back from the main hall after dinner. He thought about his mother's reaction then and pulled his cloak even further around him. Perhaps getting rained on was a small enough price to pay for a somewhat peaceful life.

He still couldn't understand exactly what it was his mother had against Lottie and he had given up trying to work it out. He could understand that perhaps she was suspicious at first but Lottie had been at Winterfell for months now and had been nothing short of gracious and kind the entire time. His mother was stubborn though, Robb knew that better than anyone. Even when she was wrong she was loathe to admit it – likely that was her real problem. He picked up his pace then, the rain had all of a sudden come lashing down and he broke into a run as he reached the steps, practically falling through the door of the keep.

"_Look at the state of you, you're soaked to the bone!" she exclaimed. _

"_Nothing a bath won't fix," he smiled at her, pushing his drenched curls from his face._

"_The maids have just filled it," she told him, walking towards him. _

"_Perfect," he said, his teeth chattering slightly._

"_Come here, let me help you," she said concernedly, tugging at his lacings and buttons. _

"_You'll get yourself wet … I'm fine," he protested but she paid him no mind. _

"_I'm your wife, let me help you," she said firmly._

"_Fine wife," he returned playfully, "perhaps you can help me bathe as well?"_

"_If my husband commands it," she said, a twinkle in her eye as she looked up at him._

"_Oh he does …" he said, pulling her into his arms and making her shriek happily. _

Robb smiled slightly at the memory as he trudged slowly up the stairs. That familiar pang was there but he felt almost fondly towards the sudden image of his wife that had suddenly crept up on him. They always came when he wasn't expecting them but they were getting easier to bear. He still missed her. He still ached for her. But it _was _getting easier. Perhaps people did know what they were talking about after all. Time was the cure.

He thought of Lottie again as he let himself into his room, he had been so glad to see her smile and hear her laugh again today. She was much too good to be plagued by such sadness. He found himself hoping that he father had replied to her letter and that it was just slow in arriving. Lottie needed something – some kind of acceptance and approval from her family that Robb could not give her no matter how much he wished he could. He sighed as he undressed for bed, he had almost grown used to sleeping alone now but he often woke up and missed the presence of a warm body next to his. His Lords would be coming soon, he remember with slight irritation, no doubt they would bring up the notion of him taking another wife at the counsel.

He wasn't ready for that. Things might be better but they were by no means good. If he took a new wife now then she would more than likely end up resenting him for still being in love with a dead woman. He knew he would never be able to let Roslin go entirely but she was still far too real for him to consider another woman. None of his Lords daughters could ever understand, they had no idea what Roslin had meant to him – what she still meant to him. If he consented to marry one of them they would come to Winterfell with dreams of the most wonderful King in the North and he would dash every single one of them. No, he needed a woman to understand. He needed … Lottie. It suddenly sprung into his head and he shook it. She was his friend. That was all. Lottie trusted him with things he knew she trusted no one else with and he wouldn't betray that by letting the boundaries of their friendship blur.

_She's my friend, _he told himself as he climbed into bed, _just my friend._

That night, for the first time since she was taken from him he didn't dream of Roslin. When he woke up in the morning he couldn't work out whether that was a blessing or a curse.

* * *

**A/N: **Oooh, those little seeds of more than friendship are starting to sprout! Hope you liked it. I tell you, this slow burn is killing me!

More soon.

:)


	7. VII

**A/N: **You know I said this slow burn is killing me? Well, it's still killing me.

Anyway, thank you **Carley** for your sweet review, so glad you're enjoying it and yay at it being the favourite so far - shows I'm improving!

Please give me your thoughts, as ever I would be so very grateful!

:)

* * *

**VII**

* * *

Lottie took a deep breath as she drew the bow back under her chin, her eyes narrowing as they focused on the target. Imagine his ugly face, that's what Arya always told her. She loosed then and the arrow flew perfectly through the air and landed almost in the middle of the target. Somehow she refrained from jumping up and down. Finally, she had finally hit an almost perfect shot and just typically no one was out there to see it.

"_Put that down Charlotte – that is no such toy for a young Lady."_

"That was well struck my Lady," a voice sounded behind her and she whirled around.

"Thank you," she smiled at the strange man, "forgive me … I do not think we have met?"

"Ser Johan, my Lady," he bowed slightly to her.

"Please Ser, Lottie is just fine," she corrected him.

"Well met Lottie," he smiled and she returned it.

"I've seen you here a few times … with Lady Arya or the King," he commented.

"They do their best, but I think I am a trying student," she returned and he chuckled lightly.

"You hit it well enough," he complimented.

"Yes, but only when no one is around," she explained.

"Aah, you do not like an audience," he grinned.

"No," she agreed, "so I would be just useless in battle"

"I don't think useless is quite the word I would use," he said.

"No?" she questioned, "What use do you think I could be?"

"You could dazzle all our enemies with your beauty," he grinned at her and she snorted.

"You flatter me Ser," she said, turning back to the archery target.

"Johan is just fine," he returned and she smiled widely as she notched another arrow.

Johan didn't say anything as she picked another arrow from the barrel and notched it into her bow but she could feel his eyes burning into her back and she fought the urge to blush. It had been such a long time since a man had looked at her like that – as though she was the most desirable woman in the world. Even Lyndon hadn't looked at her like that – well, perhaps after a few glasses of fine Dornish wine he did. She supposed she shouldn't be surprised she had not seen that look in so long, the only man she really spent any time with was Robb and he wasn't ready to look at any woman like that.

Lottie loosed the arrow then and it landed even closer than her previous one and this time she couldn't help but let out a delighted shriek. She heard Johan laughing behind her and she turned around to face him, her cheeks slightly flushed with excitement.

"Did you see that?!" she exclaimed.

"Yes … it seems you're not afraid of an audience after all," he grinned.

"Perhaps not," she said almost breathlessly.

"Or perhaps you just had the wrong teacher?" he suggested with a raised brow.

Lottie really did flush then, dropping her eyes from his as she saw the intense, searching look that he was giving her. His comment may have been an innocent one but the meaning that dripped from his words was far from it. She wasn't quite sure how that made her feel - besides embarrassed. She had once thought that perhaps a kind Northman would take a shine to her and now it seemed one had. For some reason though it didn't make her quite as happy as she would have thought it would. Perhaps it was the wrong Northman, she though, but pushed it away instantly. It would do no good to think like that.

"Don't let the Lady Arya hear you say that," she managed after a moment.

"Hear you say what?" Arya herself asked then, appearing almost from nowhere.

"Uhm …" Lottie faltered.

"I was just saying how I have no time for the bow," Johan said smoothly.

"Really?" Arya raised a brow, "Perhaps I'll take you on with the sword later?"

"I look forward to it my Lady," he grinned.

"Go on then," Arya turned to Lottie, "let's see how much you've improved"

Lottie took a deep breath before selecting another arrow and notching it. As she drew it back though she noticed Robb walking along the perimeter of the yard with his head bowed. She frowned slightly as she tried to focus on the target but Robb was all that consumed her mind. She knew him well enough by now to know that something was troubling him. Without thinking she loosed the arrow.

"Oh come on!" Arya's exasperated voice sounded.

"I'm sorry," Lottie said distractedly, hurriedly putting aside the bow.

"It's like you've regressed six months!" she moaned at her.

"Sorry," Lottie said again, "I'm sorry Arya I have to go … I just remembered …"

She didn't bother finishing, she just hurried off in the direction Robb had gone – knowing that he would be heading out towards the Godswood. Arya sighed in exasperation as she watched her hurrying away, she had been getting good but that arrow had been completely off target.

"She was doing fine before you turned up," Johan commented and she glared at him.

"Sword?" she asked him.

"You're on," he grinned and they both went to the rack to pull out blunted practice swords.

"You know it will do nothing for your reputation if you're beaten by a girl," Arya taunted.

"My reputation is tarnished enough already," he winked.

"Yes by women," she said, rolling her eyes as they began to circle one another.

"They can't resist me," he winked again, "speaking of which … what's Lottie's story?"

"You stay away from her," she said darkly.

"Why?" he asked curiously.

"Because she deserves better than a letch like you," she said pointedly.

"I could give up whoring for a beauty like her," he said and she snorted.

"The Seven Hells would freeze over first," she said scathingly.

"Or maybe it's that she's already spoken for," he said with a raised brow.

"What do you mean?" Arya frowned.

"They say she spends an awful lot of time with the King," he said suggestively.

"They're friends, Robb is still grieving for his wife," she told him angrily.

"Men don't grieve forever, especially when there's women like Lottie to be had," he countered, bringing up his sword to meet Arya's furious swing.

* * *

Lottie approached the heart tree quietly, she didn't want to disturb Robb if he had merely come out to pray. He was knelt there in front of it and she was about to turn and walk away when she saw that his body was shaking with silent sobs. Knowing he was hurting made her own heart wrench and she approached him at once – there was no way in the Seven Hells she could just leave him out here in the state he was in. She knelt down next to him without a word and lay a hand gently on his shoulder. He jumped at her touch and lifted his shining eyes to hers, for some reason seeing her looking at him in such concern made him break down even more.

"Oh Gods Robb … whatever's happened?" she asked him almost desperately.

"Nothing …" he choked, inhaling in a deep, shuddering breath, "it's just …"

"Just what?!" she pleaded, desperate to know what was wrong so she could help him.

"If she …" he choked, "… if she had … we would … we would … our … baby … she would have …"

"She would have had the baby," she whispered in understanding and he nodded vigorously, a fresh wave of tears coming over him.

She didn't know what to do. Suddenly laying a sympathetic hand on his shoulder didn't seem nearly enough. He was hurting. He was hurting so damn much it was killing her to see it. She had never seen a man break down as he was. She had never seen a man deserve it less. Without thinking she wrapped her arms tightly around his shoulders and in an instant his own were around her, his hands gripping around her waist tightly, his head buried in the crook of her neck as he sobbed even harder.

"_Men don't show weakness Charlotte. Tears are a woman's weapon. If you want to earn a man's respect you need to make yourself as cold as he is. Cold to everything – especially weaknesses like tears and sadness."_

_Oh shut up mother_, Lottie snapped at the voice in her head as she clutched Robb even closer to her, feeling his tears against the skin of her neck. She ran her hands soothingly up and down his back then in the same motion she had always used to calm Arthur when he had been screaming. It seemed to work on grown men as well as babies as eventually Robb began to calm, slowly managing to stop his tears as she held him. Even when her neck was dry and his tears were subsided he still made no move to leave her embrace and she made no move to release him.

"I'm sorry," he finally whispered, his warm breath tickling her neck.

"Don't you dare apologise to me," she scolded him lightly.

"It's just … I dreamt of her last night, for the first time in weeks and when I woke up and realised how long it had been …" he tailed off.

"You realised," she finished for him.

"I should be a father now," he said quietly, his fingers clenching around her waist.

"I know," she soothed, "I know … and it's so cruel that you're not"

"I shouldn't be putting this on you," he scolded himself then.

"Why shouldn't you?" she questioned him.

"You have your own battles," he said quietly.

"And you help me with them," she told him firmly, "I would do the same for you"

"You have no idea what that means to me," he whispered.

"I do," she whispered back, "because it means exactly the same to me"

They lapsed into silence then, their arms still around one another as they knelt there in front of the heart tree. It didn't feel strange. It felt peaceful and comforting. Robb had found a solace in her arms that even the Godswood had not been able to provide him with and he thanked the Gods silently over and over for her as she kept on holding him.

"_You're going to be the most wonderful father Robb … I just know it."_

He clutched Lottie even closer, some part of him just didn't want to let her go.

* * *

Maester Vernon had told Catelyn that she would find Robb out in the Godswood. He had confessed that her son had seemed agitated and a little upset and so she had set off out there at once. Robb had been getting so much better lately and she hated to think of him upset and alone in front of the heart tree. She still did not feel comfortable out there in the Godswood but her son's feelings were far more important that her own at this point. As she walked she tried to block out the memory of Robb's roar of pain when he had found Roslin dead on the ground. How she would ever forget it she didn't know. He had sounded like a wounded animal, a man who had torn his own heart out. Her death had almost broken him, there had been some days she wasn't even sure he even wanted to live anymore.

"_Robb will you please eat something," she pleaded with him._

"_I'm not hungry," he said dully._

"_You've not touched a thing in three days," she persisted._

"_I'm not hungry," he repeated._

"_You have to eat Robb!" she almost snapped out of sheer desperation. _

"_What's the point?!" he burst out, his eyes finally moving to meet hers._

"_Roslin wouldn't want this Robb," she whispered, shaking her head sadly. _

It was true, Catelyn knew that, Roslin would not have wanted him to pine away for her and make himself sick and weak. She would have wanted him to live. She had loved him far too much to have ever wanted anything else for him but happiness. Catelyn could see that clearly – she just wished she could find some way to get it through to Robb. The Lords were coming soon and she would bet half of Winterfell that they would bring up the idea of him remarrying. She knew damn well he wouldn't take that well and she could only hope that he was prepared for it and would not lose his temper with them. It was only natural that they urged him to move on. Robb needed an heir for the North as much as for himself – it was not just the future of his own line he had to think about.

"_The one thing I want more than anything is for Robb to be happy, after everything he has been through he so deserves to be happy Lady Stark."_

Roslin had had no idea how true those words were when she had spoken them.

The Gods were cruel indeed.

She froze then as she rounded the corner into the Godswood. Robb was there as she had been told he would be but he was far from alone. Lottie had her arms firmly around him and he had his around her. Catelyn toyed with the idea of marching right up to them and demanding an explanation. She dismissed it at once though, causing a scene would do no good. Besides, what exactly could he accuse Robb of? It was only an embrace. She hadn't seen their lips touch or seen them pressed up against one another in some darkened hallway. All he would do was tell her for the thousandth time that they were merely friends and she would nod and smile and pretend to believe him just like she did all the other times.

She would have to think of something though, and think it fast. She turned and walked away from the Godswood then – she knew she didn't like the place.

"… _he so deserves to be happy …"_

_Not with her,_ Catelyn vowed, _not with that woman._

* * *

_She stepped forward slowly, her steps shaking slightly as she stepped out of the pool of silk that had been her under-shift. The men had left that on her at his request but he had just unthread the ties and let it drop. She let her eyes wander his bare chest then and he made no move to touch her, he didn't want her to feel any pressure, he didn't want to go too quickly. He heard her sharp intake of breath as she stopped less than an inch from him, her hand coming tentatively to trace the scar that ran from his ribs down to his stomach. _

"_Did it hurt?" she whispered as he shuddered under her gentle touch._

"_I don't much remember it now," he told her honestly. _

"_You're very brave," she breathed, "I am so lucky to have such a brave husband"_

_He didn't know what to say to that so he settled for bending his head down and kissing her, her lips working so perfectly with his as he let his hands go to her waist, her own snaking up over his shoulders. She was consuming him now and he was guiding her back, back towards the bed …_

Robb pulled his robe about him and turned away from the mirror. He had been getting ready for bed when he had caught sight of his scar in the mirror and in the next instant he couldn't stop thinking about that night. That perfect night. The night she truly became his. Weeks he had gone without memories creeping up on him – for weeks he had only thought of her when he wanted to, only conjuring up the memories he wanted to see. Today though they came at him one after the other and each one felt like a dagger in the gut, slowly twisting and turning just to prolong the agony.

He had felt better with Lottie there. She wasn't with him now though, she was tucked away in the west wing no doubt asleep. He felt almost envious of her and then he felt guilty. He knew damn well that Lottie suffered from dreams and horrible memories just as he did. He threw himself down on the bed then and forced himself to close his eyes. It would do no good. He knew it wouldn't. He let them open again and tried to focus on something else.

Anything else.

Lottie. He sighed. She was consuming him more and more and it was getting harder and harder to think of her as a mere friend. He was in no way ready to confront those feelings though. Not with Roslin still haunting him. He would be no good to any woman until he could control the overwhelming sadness and longing he felt for her. Vaguely he wondered how she would feel about him moving on with his life with another.

"_I forgive you Robb … I love you."_

* * *

"I know I shouldn't be here," he said at once when she opened the door.

"No," she agreed, pulling her robe tighter around her as she shivered slightly.

"I couldn't sleep," he told her.

"So you came here?" she questioned him with a raised brow.

"I don't want anything from you," he said hurriedly.

"Robb …" she tailed off, looking at the desperate look in his eyes.

"It's just earlier, in the Godswood, with you … I could block it out for a while," he said sadly.

"Come in," she said softly, stepping aside so he could enter the room.

"I know it's a lot to ask … but would you consider letting me stay?" he asked her.

"What do you mean?" she asked uneasily.

"I just want to hold onto someone," he confessed.

"Someone?" she repeated.

"No," he shook his head, "not someone … you"

"Robb …" she frowned, this was crossing some kind of boundary. Surely he could feel it too?

"I know," he whispered, "I know Lottie … but I swear, I won't try anything … I just need you"

"Just to hold?" she checked with him, her eyes meeting his.

"Just to sleep," he nodded, not moving his gaze from hers.

"Just tonight?" she whispered, taking a step closer to him.

"Just tonight," he confirmed and she took his hand and led him to the bed.

They were both slightly awkward as they climbed beneath the sheets and furs. Lottie had never shared a bed with anyone but her husband before and she had never thought she would. Not like this anyway, and certainly not with a King. She tried to calm her thudding heart as she settled down against the pillows, feeling Robb doing the same next to her. After a few moments of silence she finally turned her head to face him and sensing her movement he did the same. They stared evenly at one another for a moment until he finally, tentatively, turned onto his side and inched closer to her, his eyes not leaving hers.

Robb swallowed hard when he was mere inches from Lottie. Ever so slowly, his eyes still on hers he reached out an arm to touch her waist. Lottie's heart seemed to skip, her stomach clenching with something that wasn't quite discomfort as he moved so his chest was pressed against her side.

"Is this okay?" he whispered through the darkness.

"Yes," she breathed back, her heart thumping.

"Tell me if you feel uncomfortable," he urged her.

"It's fine Robb," she reassured him and after a moment he moved his head to settle on her chest.

It was intimate where his head was lying, right between her breasts that only had a thin layer of silk covering them. Somehow it didn't feel lecherous though what he was doing, it didn't feel like he was seeking out anything other than comfort by laying where he did. No doubt he could hear her heart; perhaps it was the steady rhythm of it that he sought out.

He counted the beats of her heart as he lay there, feeling one of her hands lay across the arm he had across her waist and the other come and lightly rest in his hair. He sighed in contentment then, breathing in the scent of her that was not quite like anything else he had even encountered. His eyes were heavy with sleep then and he twitched his arm a little tighter around her waist, feeling her hand clench slightly more around his forearm in response.

"Goodnight Lottie," he breathed against her.

"Goodnight Robb," she whispered back, allowing her own eyes to close.

* * *

Robb was gone when she woke and part of her was glad she wouldn't have to face the awkward uncertainty of waking up with another person in her bed. Not just any person either. Robb. The King in the North. She groaned slightly then and pulled the furs further around her, rolling herself up tightly in them and inhaling the scent of him that was left behind. It was such a comforting scent. It had been so easy to fall asleep with him. Far too easy.

The other part of her wished that he was still with her, that the heavy weight of his head was still pressed up against her chest, his thick fingers still clenched slightly in the skin of her hip. She shuddered then despite being all snuggly bundled up in furs. How could she miss sleeping at someone's side after just one night of it? She had never missed Lyndon's presence all the nights he was absent from her bed. Sleeping alone had never bothered her and yet now the thought of spending another night alone in such a vast space was an incredible daunting one. She rolled over determinedly and tried to ignore her feelings.

They could scream as loud as they wanted.

She wasn't listening.

If she did she would only end up getting hurt. Robb was her friend that was all. Her friend who had needed her comforting embrace to fall asleep in. That was all. It was impossible for it to be anything more.

"_In life Charlotte a woman rarely gets what she wants. Best you start to learn to endure disappointment now before you get married. Men, Charlotte, are the biggest disappointment of all. You can give them your love, your body, your whole life and they will still not be satisfied. They will still want more, and they will give you nothing – nothing, in return. The worst thing you can do is fall in love Charlotte, it will consume you and tear at you until there is nothing left."_

"Shut up mother," she groaned into the Robb-scented furs.

* * *

**A/N: **You have no idea how much I had to resist making them kiss in this chapter! Damn it seriously. I was actually shouting at myself 'no, not yet - they're not ready yet!' God seriously, this fic is testing my sanity I swear.

Anyway ... enough of my ranting! Any thoughts would be amazing and I will try and get another one up at the end of the week.

:)


	8. VIII

**A/N: **Hey guys. New chapter. I'm going to be AWOL for a few weeks I'm afraid unless I get some tremendous luck regarding wifi.

Anyway, I promise to update as soon as I'm home!

:)

* * *

**VIII**

* * *

Catelyn watched Robb's reaction carefully as his Lords clattered into the courtyard one by one. He looked happy enough, managing to smile for them and greet them warmly, a few of them such as the Greatjon and his son he embraced warmly. The only one he seemed slightly still around was Lord Bolton but that was no surprise – Catelyn had never fully warmed to the man either but he was Lord of the Dreadfort whether they liked it or not and had served Robb well during the war. Despite the easy greetings she couldn't help but feel apprehensive as Robb ushered them all towards his council chamber, calling for one of the servants to bring wine.

Hopefully it would go well. Hopefully when the notion of remarriage was brought up it was brought up sensitively. It had not yet been a year since Roslin had passed. She knew that most men with no heir, especially a Lord or a King, would have remarried by now but Robb wasn't most men. He had loved Roslin. His Lords knew that and she just hoped they would remember it when the time came to bring it up.

"_How is the King?" the Greatjon asked her as she left her son's tent._

"_Not good," she confessed, her voice shaking slightly._

"_It's cruel," the seasoned commander said gruffly, "the war is supposed to be done"_

"_I fear for Robb the real battle is just beginning," she confessed._

"_A young lad like that shouldn't know of such losses," he said, shaking his head._

"_No," she agreed, swallowing hard. _

"_He's a good man and a good King," he nodded, "he will pick himself up from this in time"_

"_I hope so Lord Umber, I truly do," she said heavily._

She hoped it was the Greatjon who approached the subject if it must be brought up. Robb would be more likely to keep his temper with him – the Greatjon was like a substitute father to him and had been the first Lord to declare him King. He would approach the matter with tact having lost his own wife; he knew what Robb was feeling and she prayed to the Gods he would remember it.

As she turned with some unease to walk towards the gardens she saw Lottie walking across the courtyard with Sansa and Arya. She narrowed her eyes slightly at the sight, she didn't like how the girl was managing to ensnare all of her family members. Before she could call either of her daughters away they were approach by Ser Johan and after a moment both Sansa and Arya departed, leaving Lottie alone with the young knight. Catelyn watched curiously as they exchanged words, Ser Johan leaned in rather closer than necessary and when he took Lottie's hand to say farewell his lips lingered far longer than she thought was strictly necessary.

She felt a smile tug at her lips then. If there was one sure way of keeping Lottie well away from Robb and the rest of her family it was getting her married into someone else's. Ser Johan, she knew, wasn't the type of man to balk at the thought of a union with a widow – so long as she was pretty, and that was the one thing she could admit Lottie was. She stood still in the courtyard a little longer, watched Lottie walk back towards the west wing and seeing Ser Johan's eyes following her progress. Her smile widened even more then – surely it would do no harm to just talk to the man and gauge the exact extent of his feelings?

Robb wouldn't thank her for interfering. Then again, there was no reason why he should even find out that she had uttered a word. It was for the best if Lottie Lannister was removed from the picture before things good too complicated and messy. It was the best thing for her son and the best thing for the North.

* * *

The council meeting was going quite as Robb had expected it to so far. He had agreed when the war was over that he would meet with his Lords every six months unless there was an urgent matter to attend to in which case he would summon them immediately. This first meet had been pushed back slightly as Robb was no quite ready to face them all and face their pleas for him to take another wife. He was ready for them now, he had his answer waiting for them on the tip of his tongue – all he had to do was wait for one of them to ask the question.

All the issues of money and security and preparations for winter had already been addressed. They were the main things and the Lords were fast running out of queries for Robb and one another. Robb could tell from the uneasy glances that some of them were sharing that they were apprehensive. He knew not one of them would relish broaching the subject of a new Queen being chosen but every single one of them must be desperate to know his intentions. Some of them had daughters of their own that they would no doubt want Robb to consider. He had thought about that, it would be the popular choice to choose a northern girl. His Lords would like it and so would his people. But Robb didn't know any of those girls and he wasn't sure how any of his Lords would feel about sending their daughters to Winterfell for an undetermined amount of time so he could get to know them. Especially when he would more than likely just turn around and reject them in the end.

"Your Grace?" the Greatjon finally said apprehensively and Robb knew that this was it.

"Yes my Lord?" Robb replied as evenly as he could, he even managed a small smile.

"I am loathe to speak of this but … we must broach the subject of your Grace remarrying," he said.

"I see," Robb nodded, seeing some of the other Lords shifting uncomfortably.

"We know of course that the loss of Queen Roslin was devastating for you," Maege Mormont put in.

"But we cannot ignore the fact that the North needs an heir," Lord Karstark added.

"Obviously we don't want to push you," the Greatjon said hurriedly.

"But we would like some idea of when we might get a new Queen," Lord Bolton said quietly.

"I see," Robb said again, lifting his eyes to scan the room.

"You must forgive us if you feel we've spoken out of turn," the Greatjon said almost pleadingly.

"No," Robb said, shaking his head, "no, I know that I must remarry, to secure the North"

"Have you given any thoughts to whom?" Lords Karstark asked eagerly, no doubt thinking of his own daughter Alys.

"Not specifically," Robb answered him, "but I will tell you this my Lords, the woman I choose for my wife will be just that – my choice"

"Of course," several of them muttered in response.

"I think it's the least I deserve considering," Robb added.

"Yes your Grace," the reply was echoed down the table.

"And I trust that you will all respect my choice when I make it and know I would never choose a woman I wouldn't consider to be right for myself and for the North," he finished.

"Yes your Grace," they all repeated again.

"Good," Robb nodded, "now if that is all my Lords perhaps we should turn our attention to other matters – such as this wine …"

A hearty half-cheer was raised into the air at his words and the filling of cups and the clinking of glasses was all that was heard for the next few minutes. Toasts were raised then to anything and everything and Robb drank deeply. He had held it together better than he thought he would. When Roslin's name was mentioned he had gripped the side of his chair so hard that his knuckles had ached as he fought the urge to scream at them and tell them not to dare say her name.

He sighed then. The subject was dropped for now but Robb knew that if he hadn't taken a wife by the time the next meeting came about that they would be far less patient and coddling of him. The thought of having a new wife and Queen was a daunting one but one he would have to face up to and soon. Unfortunately he wasn't just any man, he was the King in the North and the North needed an heir. If it didn't get one soon then people would start to talk. His reign may have started years before but it had only truly begun when Stannis had declared the North independent again. That had been just over a year ago – to the people he was still green, no matter what he had achieved in battle. The small folk didn't care about the wars he had fought in the south they cared about what happened now he was back in the North. They wanted to know they would be well fed when winter came and that they had a Queen with a babe in her belly.

Robb gulped down some more wine. Time was short for him, he would have to choose soon.

* * *

"Lady Stark!" Ser Johan looked up in surprise from where he was putting away the tourney swords.

"Forgive me … I don't mean to interrupt you," she said with a smile.

"It is no matter, can I do something for you my Lady?" he asked her, turning properly to face her.

"Actually, there is a question I wanted to ask you," she told him.

"Go on," he said, a slight frown creasing his brow.

"I've noticed you spending time with Lady Charlotte," Catelyn said with a raised brow.

"Lottie?" he questioned her, the frown deepening.

"Yes," she confirmed, "and I wondered what your intentions were towards her"

"Well … I … uhm …" he stuttered out.

"Not entirely honourable?" she guessed.

"Well … she's a beautiful woman," he said by way of explanation and she smiled wryly.

"She's also a high born Lady," she reminded him.

"I know," he said quickly, "I would never … uhm … dishonour her in such a way"

"I'm glad to hear it," she said with a slight smile.

"I think she is a little beyond my station," he confessed then.

"Nonsense," she said at once, "she is a widow … and her first husband was a knight"

"I have little money," he added.

"Neither does she," she countered.

"You really think she would consider me?" he asked her.

"I think she would be mad not to," she told him, managing a warm smile.

"Well … thank you Lady Stark," he said brightly, a gleam in his eye.

"You're most welcome," she said, inclining her head to him before turning to walk away.

Catelyn walked away then feeling immensely satisfied with herself. If Ser Johan was half as charming as she believed him to be she was confident that he would soon have Lottie right where she wanted her to be. Robb would have no choice but to allow their betrothal and then … well then he would be free to make a choice about his future wife without Lottie clouding his vision. The sooner she belonged to another the better and Ser Johan seemed like the perfect choice.

* * *

When Catelyn descended from her rooms later in the evening she could hear the sounds of drunken laughter and feasting coming from the great hall and so she knew Robb must have finished with his Lords. She entered herself then and walked up through the middle of the hall, responding to greetings and the various toasts that were raised to her as she made her way up to the high table. Robb stood and pulled her chair out for her. She sat on his immediate right for the time being as she was the acting Lady of Winterfell until her son decided to take a new wife.

She thought about asking him how his meeting with the Lords had gone once she had pulled some food onto her plate and filled her glass with wine but he had a faraway look in his eyes and she decided that it could wait for now. As she ate her dinner she scanned the room and noted that several people had already finished their own meal and were now heading out to dance. She noticed Lottie and Ser Johan amongst them, dancing together with smiles on their faces and she couldn't help but feel a warm bubble of satisfaction nestle in her chest.

After a moment she glanced sideways at Robb and noticed him staring right at Lottie and Ser Johan as they danced, seemingly oblivious to his hard gaze. The look on his face was an easily recognisable one and Catelyn shifted uneasily. The sooner Ser Johan made his move and asked for Lottie's hand the better. She did not like the look on her son's face. The look of pure envy.

* * *

Robb couldn't take anymore. He stood up suddenly from the high table and marched round and down off the platform and along the side of the hall towards the door ignoring his mother's protests. Once he was outside the keep he tried to take some steadying breaths, gulping in the cold night air gratefully and trying to get himself together. What in the name of the Gods was wrong with him? The feeling still nagged at the pit of his stomach, that feeling of overwhelming jealousy he had felt when he had seen her in the arms of another man. Gods why was he feeling like this? She was supposed to be his friend.

He almost let out a snort then as he pounded across the courtyard towards the entrance to the Godswood. She had stopped being a friend the second she had wrapped her arms around him in the Godswood. Maybe even before then, when she had made him laugh down by the stream in the wolfswood or when he had held her hand in the Sept as she'd prayed for her lost boy. He kicked at a stone on his way out. Damn it all he was furious with himself. He was furious with her for looking so damn beautiful as she danced so happily in the arms of Ser Johan. He had had half a mind to march right up to them and claim her as his own then and there but he managed to get himself together. He couldn't be so irrational in front of all of his Lords and half the people of Winterfell. He needed to calm down. He needed to get himself together.

When he reached the Godswood he knelt down in front of the heart tree and stared at it in the darkness, the faint light of the stars and moonlight illuminating the face on the bark. He swallowed hard, guilt was mixing in with his feelings of jealousy now. Guilt over Roslin. Guilt for even thinking about another woman in that way when he still missed her so much.

_She's gone, _he reminded himself, blinking rapidly to compose himself.

"Is it time?" he asked softly, "Is it time for me to move on? Has enough time really passed without her? I just need to know, I need some sign from her that it's okay …"

He trailed off then and hung his head. He felt ashamed for even speaking the words out loud, for even acknowledging the fact that he had considered being with someone else. He brought his hands to his face and buried his head in them for a moment as he tried to make sense of all the conflicting feelings in his head and his heart. Did he love Lottie? No. Could he love Lottie? Without a doubt. Was he ready for any of this? He had no idea.

He felt lost. Conflicted and full of emotions.

He felt a second of cold on the back of his neck then before moisture trickled down it and he looked up thinking that it had begun to rain again. It wasn't rain. It was snow. Soft, light flakes slowly drifting down from the heavens as he looked up at the looming cloud that was drifting across the star covered sky. He smiled then despite himself. Snow.

"_I have never seen snow. I so want to see snow, I think it's the thing I'm most looking forward to!"_

Roslin. Had she heard his plea? Was this her sign? Was she giving him her blessing? He blinked back a tear as he remained gazing up at the sky. The snow was beginning to fall even more lightly now, ending just as quickly as it had begun. In a few minutes there would be no evidence at all that any flakes had fallen down onto Winterfell. He stood up then, his mind calm and his emotions steady.

"Thank you," he whispered up to the heavens before he turned and walked away.

As if to grant him even further encouragement Lottie was walking down from the keep as he walked back across the courtyard. He was heartened to see that she was alone, no Ser Johan in sight. She caught sight of him as she walked towards the west wing and quickly changed direction, walking instead towards him. Robb smiled at her and she returned it, her smile dropping from her face as she passed the stables and he frowned, wondering what it was that had caused her change in mood.

He got his answer as he hurried towards her, in the small walkway between the stables and the blacksmiths a man had a woman pinned up against the wall, her skirts up around her waist as he thrust repeatedly into her, cries of delight leaving her mouth. He took Lottie's arm and pulled her away before either of them noticed, but not before he realised that the man they had seen in such a compromising position was Ser Johan. He didn't quite know what to say to Lottie as he walked her back towards the keep. Did she really have any feelings for that man?

The thought made his stomach clench uncomfortably and he glanced sideways at her and noted that she had a thoughtful expression on her face.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," Robb said after a while, unable to stand the silence any longer.

"Don't be," she said, stopping and looking him dead in the eye, "now I know what he's truly like"

"What do you mean?" he asked with a frown.

"I mean he spent the evening fawning over me and telling me how beautiful I am but the second he leaves the keep he is fucking someone else," she snapped.

"Lottie …" he began, not even knowing how to phrase his next question.

"I was a fool to believe him, I should have known … the only man I can trust is you," she said.

"Did you come out looking for him?" he asked, his heart clenching.

"No," she shook her head, "I came looking for you as soon as he left me alone"

"Why?" he asked, his heart now speeding up alarmingly.

"You looked troubled," she said by way of explanation and he smiled at her.

"I'm alright now," he told her and she gazed up at him for a moment, searching his eyes.

"Yes," she agreed softly after a while, "yes, I can see that"

"Come on … I'll walk you to your room," he said after a moment.

She hesitated when they arrived at the door of the west wing and he wondered what was going on in her mind as she gazed up at him, biting down on her lower lip gently as though wondering how best to phrase her next words. He swallowed hard as she stared at him, unwilling to say anything in case it was the wrong thing.

"Robb?" she finally asked quietly.

"Yes?" he replied, just as quietly.

"Could you …" she paused, unable to meet his eyes, "could you come up and hold me?"

"If you want me to," he whispered, his heart hammering.

"I do," she said, lifting her eyes back up to his and holding them fast.

* * *

It was much easier this time for them to climb into bed together. There was no unease as Lottie shifted herself closer to him and let him wrap his strong arms around her. She felt inexplicably safe as she lay her head down on his broad chest and listened to the thud of his heart in her ear. It was sweeter than the gentlest lullaby and her eyes began to droop almost at once. Before long her breathing evened out and Robb knew she had fallen asleep. He smiled slightly to himself and let his arms come slightly more tightly around her, turning his head so he could inhale the sweet scent of her hair. It felt so right lying here with her like this. She felt right in his arms. So very right.

He closed his eyes then, the guilt not gnawing at him as he thought it would. He was still confused and not entirely certain of what he wanted but right now all he knew as he lay there with Lottie in his arms was that he felt perfectly content. Happy even. He opened his eyes again, sudden unease nagging at him as he thought of Ser Johan. Lottie had seemed perfectly happy with him earlier in the evening, her smile was breath-taking as he had twirled her around in the middle of the floor. Robb told himself that it was just a dance; that it didn't mean anything.

Was it though?

Ser Johan had a reputation with women and Robb knew he must be charming to have them all falling at his mercy. Would Lottie really fall for it though? She had believed him when he called her beautiful. If she hadn't seen him out there by the stables then could something have possibly happened between them? He shuddered at the thought and Lottie stirred softly against him. He tightened his grip on her even further and jammed his eyes shut again.

No more thoughts of Ser Johan.

It was him that Lottie was lying in bed with, not some charming knight with his brain in his breeches.

That thought made Robb smile and he finally managed to let sleep consume him.

* * *

When Lottie woke in the morning she was surprised to find that her head was still resting on Robb's hard chest. After blinking herself properly awake she raised her head slowly to see that he was still sleeping soundly beside her. She shifted herself ever so carefully so she wouldn't wake him, moving herself up so she could better take in his sleeping face. He looked so peaceful and so content as he lay there, all the lines smoothed from his face. The tension gone. The sadness lifted. She wondered if this was how he always looked when he was sleeping and the thought brought a small smile to her face.

Her eyes wandered of their own accord and lingered for a moment on the patch of hair that was exposed at the top of his chest by his loosened shirt. She had the most overwhelming desire to touch it and before she knew what she was doing she had let her fingers wander to it and brush lightly over it. The hair tickled but not in a bad way and she could feel the smoothness of the skin it covered underneath her touch. Her stomach fluttered then, her eyes going back to Robb's sleeping face as she let her fingers linger where they were, unwilling now to pull them away.

In the next instant Robb's eyes opened and she was so stunned by the suddenness of his waking that she forgot where she was touching him and just stared. He blinked sleepily at her for a moment and then he too seemed to notice where her hand was, his eyes flickering downwards in mild surprise. She did manage to move it away then, back to the part of him that was covered up by his shirt, fighting down a blush as his eyes moved back to hers.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, "I wasn't sure how to wake you"

"I'm awake now," he replied sleepily.

"Yes," she said, avoiding his intense gaze.

"It's alright you know," he said after a moment.

"What is?" she asked him.

"Last time … I woke first and I didn't know how to wake you either … I just looked at you for a while and then I left," he told her and she moved her eyes back to his.

"Oh," she said quietly, unsure of what else to say.

"I absolutely did not touch your chest though," he said in amusement then and she really did flush.

"I … I … don't …" she stammered.

Robb merely laughed at her and gently shifted her off him so he could pull himself up to stretch awake properly. Lottie stayed in the bed and watched him carefully. Was he angry with her? He didn't seem angry with her. Did that mean he hadn't minded her touching him like that, so intimately? Had he liked it? He stood up from the bed then and she watched as he poured himself a glass of water from the pitcher on the side table.

"Do you want some?" he asked her then, turning to look at her briefly.

"Please," she said quietly, clearing her throat slightly and trying to rid herself of the sudden nervousness that seemed to have crept up on her.

"Here," he said, coming back to the bed and handing it to her, settling himself back down with his own glass much to her surprise.

She shifted over to make more room for him on the bed as he propped himself up against the pillows, her doing the same beside him. Lottie was surprised that he had not left at once, the sun was getting steadily higher in the sky and she knew his absence would soon be noted back in the main keep and it would do no good for anyone to find them here together.

"You'll be missed," she said after a long moment of silence.

"Let them miss me, I'm happy here," he said, turning his head and smiling at her.

"They'll come looking for you," she persisted, a smile tugging on her own lips at the thought that he was happy staying with her.

"And do you suppose they'll find me?" he asked her.

"I suppose they will come here eventually," she said seriously.

"Would that be so bad?" he questioned, his eyes boring into hers.

"For my honour it would be," she said quietly and he felt suddenly guilty.

Robb hadn't even thought about what the whisperers would say if they caught wind of him being in her chambers. He paid no mind to gossip but he was foolish, he knew that others did and the last thing he wanted was for them to say cruel and false things about Lottie behind her back. Or even worse, to her face. He would never be the cause of her being spoken about in such a way. With that thought he heaved himself off the bed and went in search of his boots and jacket.

Lottie watched him in silence, slowly sipping on her glass of water as he got himself fully dressed and presentable again. She was slightly worried that she had offended him with her words about her honour. She hadn't meant to imply anything, she just wasn't sure that it would be good for either of them if he was caught in her chambers. Gossip would spread and she didn't want Robb being the subject of it any more than she wanted herself whispered about. He turned back towards her once he was dressed again and she looked at him apprehension. Before she could say anything he came towards her and leant his palms on the side of the bed, leaning over to her and pressing a lingering kiss to her forehead. When he pulled away he only pulled away a fraction and she could still feel the warmth of his breath on her skin.

When he spoke she could feel his lips lightly brushing against her forehead and it made her stomach flutter in delight again; "I swear to you I would never do anything to compromise your honour."

* * *

**A/N: **So Catelyn's scheming and Robb has finally admitted she's way more than a friend!

Thoughts?

More as soon as I can!

:)


	9. IX

**A/N: **New chapter you lovely people!

Please let me know what you think.

And thank you to **Carley** again for your review, I know it is testing but there's not long to wait!

:)

* * *

**IX**

* * *

"I've been looking all over for you," Catelyn said as she found Robb in the tiltyard.

"You can't have looked very hard," he said as he looked over the rack of swords and shields.

"I looked all over," she repeated, her eyes narrowing as she watched him.

"We must have crossed paths without realising," he said, selecting a weapon.

"We must have," she agreed with him although she was not entirely convinced he was telling her the truth and it made her feel uneasy.

"Did you want me for something specific mother?" he asked her then as he weighted the sword.

"Does a mother need a reason to see her son?" she countered.

"I'm fine," he told her, "truly, you don't need to fuss so much mother"

He turned away then and called out to one of his men who she assumed he would begin sparring with him. She had not watched him spar in so long and she was also curious as to whether Lottie would turn up to watch him. She had been keeping a close eye on the girl and on Robb. She had not missed the flash of jealousy that had crossed his features when he had seen her dancing so happily with Ser Johan. The only thing that made her feel better was the fact that Lottie seemed oblivious to it all, she seemed more than content in the knight's arms and Catelyn was more certain than ever that Ser Johan would soon ask for her hand. Robb would agree to it. He had no choice, people would talk if he refused without good reason and he wasn't stupid enough to let them.

Ser Johan himself entered the tiltyard then and stood on the opposite side to Catelyn as he too watched Robb and his opponent clash swords. It didn't take long, Robb soon had his man flat on the floor with his blunted sword to his throat. The man was breathing hard but Robb didn't appear to have broken a sweat as he lowered the sword and extended his hand for the beaten man to clasp onto. He pulled him to his feet and they clapped one another on the back and in the next second Catelyn heard them laughing raucously. The sound of Robb laughing so genuinely warmed her heart. She knew he had been getting stronger but this was the first time she had truly heard him laugh where it didn't sound forced and unnatural.

She tried not to dwell on exactly what was making him so happy as Lottie walked into the yard. Catelyn was instantly on edge as Robb looked towards her and she looked back. She could tell that Lottie was about to walk over to him but she was all but dragged up into conversation with Ser Johan before she could so much as take a step in Robb's direction. Catelyn saw the look of annoyance and again that hint of jealousy as they conversed. She didn't like the way Lottie was only half focused on whatever Ser Johan was jabbering on about, most of the time she seemed to be looking towards Robb with an expression on her face that Catelyn couldn't quite place.

"Robb?!" she called out then as he looked to be showing every sign of wanting to walk over to Lottie and break up her conversation. She saw the look of slight annoyance and regret cross his features as he tore his eyes from Lottie and began to walk towards her, his steps heavy and his mouth almost scowling. She almost regretted calling him over then but quickly reminded herself while she was doing it as he came to a stop just in front of her.

"Yes mother?" he asked her and she heard him fighting to keep his tone even.

"I wondered if you would walk with me before you preside over court?" she said softly, meeting his gaze and she knew that he wouldn't refuse.

She felt slightly guilty for doing it as she took the arm that she could tell was given grudgingly. Robb clearly didn't want to leave Lottie alone in the tiltyard with Ser Johan but she knew that he would never admit that and so he had had no choice but to agree to her demand. It didn't feel good doing it but she just kept reminding herself that it was for the best. She was doing this for Robb. To protect him and to protect his throne.

_No more Lannister's, _she vowed as they walked in step towards the gardens.

* * *

"Are you alright? You seem distracted," Johan said to her as she watched Robb walk away.

"I didn't sleep well last night," she lied, it was one of the best sleeps she'd had in her life.

"Kept awake by thoughts of me?" he asked teasingly and she forced a smile.

"Am I that obvious?" she said wryly and he grinned widely.

"Have you come down for target practice?" he asked her then.

"No actually," she said.

"Aah … couldn't keep away from me hey?" he winked and she forced another smile.

"I was looking for Arya to tell the truth," she lied again.

"I've not seen her down here this morning," he told her.

"Well … I should go and look for her, if you'll excuse me," she said, stepping away from him.

"Of course my Lady," he bowed rather more lowly than was necessary.

She walked away then, glad to be away from his presence. Lottie wasn't even sure how he had the nerve to look her in the eye considering what he had been doing to some nameless girl not ten minutes after leaving her alone in the great hall. He had spent the entire evening dancing with her, throwing compliments her way and telling her he would give anything in Westeros to have a woman like her as his wife. She had laughed away his comments but she couldn't help but be flattered by them, flattered that a handsome knight like him would even consider a spoiled woman such as herself a good choice of bride. It seemed he had just been jesting with her. Perhaps he had thought her desperate and assumed he could get under her skirts with his flattering words.

Ser Johan didn't really matter to her anyway. She didn't care that he had not been serious about her because she could never truly have considered him. He mattered not at all to her. There was only one man left living in this world who she truly cared about and her heart jolted at the thought of him. Robb made her heart pound. He made her stomach twist in knots and when he had pressed that kiss to her forehead she had been aching for it to have been placed on her lips. She shook her head then. It did no good to have such thoughts. Robb was her friend; that was all he had ever wanted her to be. Wasn't it?

* * *

Holding court was the most tedious part of Robb's day but it was also the most important and so he always made sure to sit himself up straight in his throne, the heavy silver crown on his head as he smiled down on the next person who had come to plead with him for something or another. He was almost done for the day and he sent a look of relief to his mother who was sat at his side as usual and she smiled back at him in understanding.

Someone he wasn't expecting was announced then and he raised his eyebrows slightly, dread filling him for some unknown reason as Ser Johan walked into the hall and bowed before him. Robb was suspicious, there were only a few reasons that a man of Ser Johan's standing would come before him and only one Robb could think of right now and he did not like it one little bit.

In his creeping unease he failed to notice how his mother's eyes lit up and how she sat forward a little more in her chair as Ser Johan approached the bottom of the dais and bowed lowly to Robb. He didn't notice the small smile of satisfaction spread across her face as Ser Johan opened his mouth to speak the words he was dreading to hear.

"Your Grace," Ser Johan began, "I have it in mind to take a wife and I come to ask your permission"

"A wife?" Robb repeated, "I must say I am surprised Ser"

"Not as surprised as I your Grace, but this woman has captured my heart," he told him.

"And does she return your affections?" Robb asked him.

"I can only hope so your Grace, and I can only hope you give me permission to find out," he said.

"And who is this woman who has so enraptured you?" Robb questioned.

"Lady Charlotte your Grace, Lady Charlotte Morvay," Ser Johan told him and Robb froze.

He had been expecting it of course he had. He had known it when he had seen them dancing at the feast the night before. He had known it this morning when Ser Johan had practically dragged Lottie towards him to converse with her. Did Lottie feel the same? Robb had thought he had seen her reluctance out there in the tiltyard. What if he was mistaken though? What if he was seeing things he wanted to see because he didn't want to see her married to some unworthy man who would never be capable of being faithful to her? What if it was all in his head and she wanted him? Could he truly stand in the way of the happiness that she so desperately deserved?

Robb swallowed hard, he could feel his mother's eyes on him and he saw Ser Johan's turned to the floor. He knew he should say yes, he had no reason not to say yes. But he had been the one to share Lottie's bed, he was the one that had held her in his arms as Ser Johan had fucked some woman that didn't matter out by the stables. Lottie couldn't mean that much to the man if he could do that not minutes after dancing with her in the hall. Robb closed his eyes then and remembered how good she felt laying in his arms. He remembered how her fingers had sought out the bare skin of his chest. He had been awake long before he had opened his eyes and he knew that it was no accident. His answer was clear; he thought of her as more than a friend and he knew that she felt the same about him.

There was only one thing he could say to Ser Johan.

"I'm sorry," Robb said, "but I cannot give you my permission"

Ser Johan lifted his head up and stared at him in disbelief and in the same instant he felt rather that saw his mother's stare turn on him. He could almost feel her eyes boring into him and so he kept his own perfectly trained on Ser Johan as the man struggled to find words.

"May I ask why your Grace?" he finally managed.

"Because you don't deserve her," Robb told him at once.

"Robb …" he heard his mother's low voice caution him but he ignored her.

"If you knew half the torment she endured you would not think to ask me," Robb said firmly.

"I meant no offence your Grace," Ser Johan dropped his head again.

"There is no offence to me, the offence was to the woman you hoped to marry when you so easily took another woman not minutes after leaving her last night," Robb said quietly.

"Your Grace …" Ser Johan was clearly flustered as he looked up again.

"Lady Morvay deserves better than you, that is my final word," Robb finished, meeting his eyes.

"Thank you for seeing me your Grace," he bowed lowly then.

Catelyn waited until Ser Johan had left the hall before she turned her furious gaze on Robb. She could scarce believe what he had done. He may as well have announced his feelings for Lottie to the whole of Winterfell. To the whole of the North even. The Gods damn it all he was done for now. The people would talk because there was no way in the Seven Hells that Ser Johan would keep this to himself. His pride had been wounded and King or not he would definitely be whispering about Robb whenever he could to whoever would listen.

"What in the name of the Gods did you do that for?!" Catelyn demanded.

"For exactly the reasons I said," he replied calmly, "he doesn't deserve her"

"What is this really about?!" she asked furiously.

"What I said," he snapped, "she saw him last night, we both did, pinned up against some wall with some woman after spending his night telling Lottie how beautiful she was"

"What were you doing with her last night?" his mother asked suspiciously.

"We crossed paths," he said, turning his gaze from her, his action telling her more than she needed to know and it made her blood boil.

"What is between you?" she demanded.

"Nothing … nothing that you are thinking anyway," he shot back.

"This is dangerous Robb," she warned him, "think of the North … think of her name"

Before Robb could reply someone else was being announced, a messenger that he had not expected. The arrival had him turning away from his mother and beckoning the man forwards at once, instantly worried at what unexpected news had come.

"Forgive me your Grace …" the man started breathlessly.

"Forget all that … speak!" Robb urged him.

"Your Grace … there have been pleas from up and down the coast – the Ironborn have launched another attack on our shores," the messenger told him.

"Bastards," Robb snarled.

"Forgive me for bringing you such ill tidings your Grace," he apologised.

"It's no matter," Robb said distractedly, "thank the Gods the Lords are already here"

"Will you ride out?" Catelyn asked him then as he stood up.

"Of course I will, what else can I do?" he retorted at once.

"Be careful," she urged him but he was already at the door of the hall and he offered her no answer.

* * *

Olyvar was helping Robb into his armour as he had done countless times before only this time Robb felt intensely uncomfortable as he fastened the straps and made sure it was all secure. They had been such good friends but they had been avoiding each other somewhat since Roslin's death. Robb had asked him at the Twins if he would prefer to stay behind with his family but he had said he was happy enough to continue on with him. He did his duties well, he was a good squire and the words that they did exchange were always polite and courteous enough. Robb missed the laughter though. He missed the easy friendship.

"The Lords want me to marry again," Robb finally said into the silence.

"I had thought they would your Grace," Olyvar replied, tightening his breastplate around him.

"Robb is still fine," he said, "I am still your good-brother"

"Until you marry again," Olyvar said with a slight edge to his voice.

"I have no choice … you know I will always love …" Robb started.

"No," Olyvar cut him off, "please Robb … don't say her name"

"I'm sorry," he said, looking at his squire in concern as he moved away to ready his sword belt.

"You don't need to apologise, I know how you felt about her, but it's different for me," Olyvar said.

"What do you mean?" Robb asked with a slight frown.

"The love was different," he explained, "you loved her for the woman she was for the time you had together; I have loved her since she was a babe, as she grew into a child … she was my sister and it was up to me to protect her"

"You cannot blame yourself, believe me I tried that and it made things a thousand times worse," Robb told him.

"I keep seeing her, lying there dead … and then other times I see her happy and smiling and begging me not to tell father I caught her sneaking cakes from the kitchen," Olyvar said, shaking his head.

"And you don't know which is worse?" Robb guessed.

"Exactly," he said bitterly, handing Robb his sword belt.

"You know I thought remembering our time together was a curse, but as time has gone on I find I can remember her now when _I _want to and not when my mind forces me to – it makes it easier to smile," Robb explained to him.

"I think I've forgotten how to do that," Olyvar said.

"Roslin loved you," Robb said, seeing how Olyvar flinched when he said her name, "she wouldn't want you to be miserable"

"I need to make sure your horse is saddled," he said, hurriedly moving towards the door.

"Of course," Robb sighed, making no move to stop him.

"Robb," he paused at the door and Robb turned to him, "she loved you too … Roslin … she wouldn't be angry that you're remarrying, she would just want you to be with someone who makes you happy"

Robb swallowed hard at his words, his throat felt constricted and all he could managed was a nod for his good-brother who seemed to understand his sudden muteness. He nodded back and twitched the corners of his mouth up ever so slightly before he slipped around the door of the armoury and into the courtyard where Robb could hear the shouts of the men and the clanks of steel as they too all readied themselves to ride out. Damn Ironborn, why did they have to choose now to attack the seaside towns? Had they not learned from the first time when Lord Bolton's men had driven them out?

"I heard you were riding out," Lottie's voice sounded from the doorway and he turned to face her.

"You heard right," he said, bringing a smile to his face for her that he hoped was reassuring.

He wondered if she would worry about him while he was away, he wondered if she would have sleepless nights as she thought of him fighting. Guilt stabbed him then, he didn't want Lottie to have sleepless nights, she had had more than enough of them already. They both had.

"You'll be safe won't you?" she asked him then.

"Of course I will," he assured her, "it's just a rabble of pirates but they need dealing with"

She nodded at that and tried to force down the swelling sense of unease that was rising up from her stomach. Robb would come back, he had to he was the King. He would be well protected in battle and there was no reason for him to fall now when he had fought countless battles in the south and never lost one.

"_How is it that a green boy like him can ride out into battle and win every single, last, fucking one of them?!"_

She smiled slightly as she remembered Lyndon's outrage. That was one of the kinder things he had said about Robb Stark. She thought about what he would say if he could see her stood with him now, or if he had seen her lying in bed with him the night before and she had the most overwhelming desire to laugh. Lyndon hadn't come back, but Robb wasn't Lyndon. Robb was a different sort of man, a different sort of man from any she had ever met before. A Northman, she supposed, perhaps her mother was right in a sense; Northmen were different.

Different was good. She liked different.

Robb looked at Lottie then and words failed her as she met the intensity of his vivid blue stare. She wondered if his heart sped up in his chest when he looked at her as hers seemed to do every time she looked at him. She wondered if he felt the clenching and the fluttering in the pit of his stomach as she did every time they were this close. She swallowed hard then as he took a step towards her and the fluttering increased as she somehow managed to hold his gaze.

Slowly Robb lifted his hand up to gently stroke down her cheek and she somehow managed to keep her eyes open and fixed on him as she felt the roughness of his skin against hers. It felt good she couldn't deny and she had to repress a shudder as he inched ever closer to her.

Robb's own heart pounded as he gazed into those stormy blue-grey eyes that did not waver away from his for a moment. His feelings for her were all coming at a rush now but the conflict in him seemed to have died. Lottie's skin was so soft and delicate under his touch and as he let his fingers linger there on her cheek he could feel her warm breath against his palm. Her smooth expression may not give her away but the quickness of her breath did and Robb just knew her heart was beating as fast as his was.

She could feel it too, whatever this thing was between them. This thing that was far beyond friendship and yet nowhere near love. He could have described it as lust but he had felt that with Jeyne and what he felt in the very core of him for Lottie was so far from that. She wasn't just an object of desire for him, she was so much more than that. She had been so much more than that to him before he had even begun to notice his attraction for her.

What she was, what this was he wasn't quite sure of. One thing he did know though was that he had done the right thing when he had refused to give Ser Johan permission to marry her. He didn't want her marrying him. He didn't want her marrying any man, the thought of watching her with someone else had feelings of jealousy and spite mingling in with everything else.

He may not feel conflicted anymore but he was no less confused.

She looked as though she was about to say something then but he decided that he didn't want to hear it and so instead he leant forwards and closed the gap between them. Her head was already tilted up to him so she could meet his eyes and it was ever so easy for him to press his lips to hers. They only lingered for a second before he pulled away to meet her eyes again, to see what her reaction would be. There was surprise most evident in her eyes but something else as well, something far more intriguing that he didn't have a word for. She didn't look repulsed though and she didn't recoil and that gave Robb some sort of sense of satisfaction.

He suddenly felt the urge to kiss her again. Properly this time but before he could move forwards to press his lips to hers for a second time the door of the armoury was flung open.

"My apologies your Grace," the Greatjon said at once.

"No apologies necessary, Lady Morvay had a message from my mother," Robb lied.

"The men are saddled and ready your Grace," he informed him then.

"Then we must depart, the sooner we leave the sooner we can return," Robb said, his gaze lingering on Lottie for a moment.

"I will be praying your Grace, my Lord, for a swift and easy victory," Lottie managed then.

"Thank you my Lady," the Greatjon said.

"That is most kind of you," Robb said softly, meeting her eyes again once more before he turned and strode from the armoury with the Greatjon following in his wake.

Lottie took a moment to compose herself before she too slipped from the armoury. Thankfully no one seemed to notice her and she was glad of it as she moved around the courtyard until she could pick Robb out amongst his men. As if drawn to her very presence he turned and fixed his blue stare on her and she met it, trying to tell him so many things that she didn't have words for. She wondered if he understood as his lips turned up into a small smile which she returned before he snapped his head away from her and gave the order for his men to move out. She hadn't lied back there in the armoury. She would be praying. She would pray night and day that Robb would return so she could look once more into those devastating eyes.

* * *

**A/N: **FINALLY!

Hope you guys were as ready for that as I was!

More soon.

:)


	10. X

**A/N: **Here's the new one guys!

Hope you all enjoy, thoughts would be awesome as ever!

:)

* * *

**X**

* * *

_No, no, no, no, no, he chanted in his head. Or was it out loud? Did it really matter anymore as he knelt down next to her unmoving form? His mother's sobs were absent – when had they stopped? Why did that matter either? He reached his hand out then, still denying what he was seeing as he turned her gently onto her back. Perhaps she was just knocked out, perhaps she would wake up. All hope of that died when she rolled over completely. _

"_Roslin?" he choked, crawling closer and recoiling at once._

_It wasn't Roslin. It wasn't his wife who lay there so limp and unseeing. It wasn't Roslin's deep brown eyes that were staring so blankly up at the stars. They were the blue-grey of a storm swept sea but the light he knew shone from them was gone. _

_He scrambled away from her. No, no, no, no. How was this possible? How could he have lost her too? How was this fair? Had he not suffered enough?_

Robb jerked awake then, sweat drenching him as he wondered for a moment if he had actually cried out into the night. He could hear the wind rippling the canvas of the tent and the light pattering of rain against it as he lowered himself shakily back down against the pillows. It had been so long since he had dreamt of the night that Roslin had died. Only, he reminded himself, that hadn't been Roslin in his dream. In his panic he hadn't realised that her hair was golden and not dark. It was only when he looked at those eyes that he realised.

Lottie.

He sat back up in the bed then, there was no way he would be able to sleep now. Surely dawn would be breaking soon anyway and they would have to move on again. They were near the coast now, tracking down the Ironborn using scouts and the word of small folk that they encountered on the way. It wouldn't be long before they caught up to them and Robb was glad of it. As soon as they were dealt with he could ride back to Winterfell. Back to Lottie. He needed more than anything to look into those eyes and see them bright and alive.

As he thought of her he thought of all the things he should have said to her before he left, all the things that he wasn't quite sure that he had the right words for. He clambered out of bed then and pulled his robe about him before going towards his desk and clumsily lighting the lantern so he could better see what he was doing. He sat down heavily then and pulled some parchment towards him, dipping his quill in the inkwell before pausing and thinking about how best to phrase the letter. In the end he decided to just write. Lottie wouldn't care if his words were clumsy, she knew him well enough by now.

_Lottie,_

_We are near the coast now as I write this to you, I cannot sleep and it is raining again. I miss you with me. I miss seeing you every day. I miss you far more than any friend should. I feel far more for you than any friend should. My feelings are all so confused and muddled but I know that I care for you and I know that I would be lost without you. That might not be the declaration of love that you have always dreamed of but it is all that I have for now. You mean so much to me and right now I want more than anything for this to be over so I can ride back home. Back to you. _

_You must forgive me if this seems sudden and unexpected but I had to tell you. I had to let you know. I don't expect a reply but I hope that you will pray for our victory as you said you would._

_I miss you,_

_Robb_

He wasn't certain he had written everything he wanted or indeed written anything right. He refused to look back over it though in case he changed his mind and became too craven to send it. He set the sealing wax over the flame and folded it as best he could with shaking fingers. When the wax was sufficiently warmed he dribbled it onto the paper and stamped his seal into it. As he waited for it to cool he thought of her reaction but quickly stopped as it made him feel vaguely nauseous. What if she didn't feel the same? What if the only woman he could see himself reaching out to after Roslin refused to take his hand? What would he do then?

He pulled himself out of those troubling thoughts as the sounds of the men rising for the day and breaking their fast reached his ears. They seemed in high spirits. Robb turned his attention back to the letter then, touching his finger lightly to the seal and feeling the cold hardness under his touch. He picked up his quill again then and carefully wrote her name on the outside. The last thing he needed was for this to fall into the wrong hands – namely his mothers.

* * *

Catelyn looked up and sent a smile to Maester Vernon as he approached the high table at breakfast. In Robb's absence he came to her every morning so she could read over correspondence while she broke her fast. Nothing too urgent had come so far and she had made the replies that were necessary, leaving the others that could wait until Robb came back. She had had some word from him but not much, most of his short notes just told her where they were and that he was safe and would be back soon. She hated that he was out there fighting again but he was the King and it was his duty to keep his realm safe from those who meant it harm.

"My Lady," Maester Vernon bowed shortly to her then before offering a stack of letters.

"Thank you Maester Vernon," she replied warmly, taking them from him.

"You're most welcome my Lady," he inclined his head and made to leave.

"Oh … Maester Vernon, you still have a letter," she called him back.

"Oh, forgive me my Lady, this letter is for another," he said.

"Who?" she inquired, she had seen Robb's seal on it and knew it was from him.

"The Lady Charlotte," he told her and she nodded curtly and he avoided her eyes at her dark expression and turned again to leave.

Catelyn watched as he approached where Lottie was sat next to Rickon. She was telling him something that had him wide eyed and grinning and Catelyn knew from the way the girl gesticulated with her hands that she was likely telling him a story. Rickon seemed to seek Lottie out almost as much as Robb did, she would often find them both sat in the library pouring over a book of legends. Sometimes Bran would be with them and Catelyn though that the sight might have warmed her heart if it was any other woman sat with them. She couldn't forbid her children from spending time with Lottie though, and nor could she ask the girl to stay away from them. It would be improper. Not to mention if Robb found out he would be utterly furious with her.

Lottie seemed to pause in telling her story then and Catelyn saw her look up at the Maester quizzically before a smile took over her as she took the letter from him. Catelyn watched her carefully as she broke the seal and unfolded the parchment. She knew that the letter was from Robb and she was dying to know the content of it. It would be damn near impossible to find out though and so all she had to go on was Lottie's facial expression as she read through it. Catelyn watched her carefully, seeing the small smile on her face as she began to read. Her smile soon dropped though and she saw her eyes widen in surprise and the girl stared at the letter for the longest time until Rickon roused her attention. Lottie turned back to him then and Catelyn saw a strange look on her face, it was one akin to something like disbelief but not displeasure. She wanted even more to know what was in that letter then.

It wasn't long before Lottie was on her feet and Catelyn watched her curiously as she bestowed a rather forced looking smile of Rickon before she all but fled from the hall. Catelyn imagined she was going back to her own rooms to reply to the letter. What she wouldn't give to know the contents. What had Robb said to her that had such a look crossing her face? Whatever it was Catelyn was willing to bet that it would not rest well with her.

* * *

Lottie read the letter through again and again, each time more slowly than the last when she finally managed to bar herself in her rooms. She sank down onto the bed after what felt like the thousandth time of reading his words there on the page. Some small, dark, irrational part of her thought that it wasn't real, that someone had forged it. Sent it to her as a cruel trick. Surely Robb didn't have these feelings for her?

She remembered the kiss then and she touched her fingers lightly to her lips as she thought of how they had tingled when Robb had placed his to them. It had been chaste and oh so light but it had been a kiss. A real kiss. And now she had this letter, this letter declaring feelings but promising nothing. What did he want from her? Did he want her in his bed, as his lover and his mistress? How could she lower herself to such a thing?

Her house may not be the great name it once was but she was still a highborn Lady and she had still been married to a highborn man and run her own household and had her own servants. She wasn't some common whore that a man could take to his bed if he so pleased. But then Robb wasn't just any man, he was the King in the North. How could she ever deny him?

Surely he wouldn't ask. Wouldn't assume. He had told her he would never compromise her honour but if he wanted her and he didn't want to compromise her honour than that would mean marriage. Her head spun at that thought. It was ridiculous. Robb couldn't marry her, she wasn't good enough – she wasn't northern enough. His Lords would never allow it. His people wouldn't like it. His mother … Gods his mother would hate it.

Her heart told her that it didn't matter. That if Robb wanted her and was willing to take the chance then she should accept. He was far better than any future she had considered. He was far more than she deserved. He would make her far happier than she had ever expected to be. She could love him. She had no doubt – in time she could love him. It would be easy.

Her head screamed at her to stop living in such a fantasy. The voice in her mind sounded very much liked her mother when it told her to stop thinking of such childish notions and face reality. Robb couldn't risk his crown for her. It was simply ridiculous.

"_Men seek power above all else Charlotte, they may declare love but when it comes down to it power it the thing they desire above all else. What's between a woman's thighs may entertain him for a while … but in the end, power is what will have the ultimate hold on him."_

"Shut up mother," she said, massaging her temples as she tried to think what to do.

She could hardly ignore his letter, she knew what it must have taken for him to even admit he had feelings for her. Then he had had to write them down and it must have been hard for him. She couldn't ignore her own feelings either. They echoed Robb's almost perfectly. No they weren't a declaration of love, but they had both been through enough to know that right now whatever it was between them was enough. More than enough.

Lottie got up then and strode to the desk by the window. She gazed out over Winterfell as she absently pulled a sheet of parchment towards her. If she had known all those months ago back at the Twins when she had agreed to come north that she would be stood here now considering all the feelings she had for the King in the North would she have chosen differently? Would she have gone south instead and taken her chances with her parents?

No, she decided. No, she would not have done a damn thing differently.

She sat herself down at the desk then and began to write.

_Robb, _

_I received you letter and it brought me more joy than I can explain to you. I find myself at a loss of what to say to you, only that I too care so much for you and that I miss you. I wish you were here now, this would all be so much easier if I could just look into your eyes. I am praying for you just as I promised. I am praying that you will be back soon and I will be waiting. Stay safe, I cannot bear to think of never seeing you again. _

_Lottie_

It wasn't quite the heartfelt declaration that his had been but she felt she needed to shield herself somewhat. She couldn't let her guard down for him when she was not with him to see his reaction. She needed him in front of her so she could gauge his true intentions. She was certain that they would be honourable but she just could not see how this was all going to end up happily for all involved.

She folded the letter carefully then and waited patiently for the sealing wax to heat up. Her own stamp was blank when she pressed it down. She didn't have a seal anymore. She remembered the beautiful lion seal that Lyndon had given her a few days after their marriage and smiled slightly. Before she could stop herself she imagined stamping her letters with a wolf sigil and she shook her head to clear it.

One step at a time.

She rose up from her desk then and picked up the letter in slightly shaking hands. She would go straight to the Maester's tower and have him send it. Then she would go to the Sept and pray as she had promised Robb she would. As she had been doing every day since he had left. He had to come home. She couldn't bear to think of the alternative.

* * *

"Are you alright Lottie?" Sansa asked her as they sat embroidering in the parlour.

"Yes of course," Lottie replied, smiling as brightly as she could.

"You're very quiet today," Sansa said, looking at her in concern.

"Truly I'm fine, the weather is just a little depressing," she lied.

"Hmm," Sansa agreed, "I do not think it has stopped raining since Robb left"

"It is almost suffocating not being able to go outside," Lottie said honestly then.

"Hopefully it will clear up soon," Sansa said sympathetically.

"Hmm," Lottie nodded, turning her attention back to her stitching.

Sansa watched her for a moment. To her it seemed like more was bothering her than the weather but it was obvious that she didn't want to talk about it. She imagined she missed Robb. There hadn't been a day in the Gods knew how long where Sansa hadn't seen the pair of them together. They would be in the tiltyard or walking around the gardens. Even at mealtimes after the formalities of eating were done her brother would drift towards wherever Lottie was sat and catch her up in conversation. Sansa knew well enough that her mother did not approve but personally she thought that it was sweet. She wasn't certain that there were any romantic feelings between them but she for one would not be upset if there were. Robb deserved happiness and Lottie might just be the woman to bring him it.

Before she could dwell anymore or even open her mouth to compliment Lottie on her stitching the door to the parlour opened and her mother strode in. Sansa was instantly wary. Her mother never spent time with Lottie on purpose. She half expected her to turn and stride right out but to her surprise she gracefully crossed the room and fished her own embroidery out of the basket.

"You Ladies don't mind if I join you?" her mother asked, as she settled down into a chair.

"Of course not Lady Stark," Lottie said automatically, hiding her own surprise well.

"How are you mother?" Sansa asked her then.

"Very well, I received a letter from Robb this morning," she replied.

"How is he?" Sansa asked.

"Well, I imagine they will be upon the Ironborn any day now," Catelyn said, "Have you not received anything from him?"

"No, I can't imagine why he would need to write to me when he sends you word," Sansa said.

"What about you Lady Lannister?" she inquired, seeing how the girl flinched at her name.

"He did send one short note," Lottie replied, thinking it best to be honest.

"Anything interesting?" Catelyn asked, and Sansa noticed her mother's eyes boring into Lottie.

"Not as such," Lottie replied, meeting her gaze unflinchingly, "just pleasantries"

"I'm surprised he finds the time to write mere pleasantries," Catelyn commented.

Sansa shifted uncomfortably in her chair. It was clear to her that her mother was fishing for something and equally clear that Lottie would surrender nothing. Sansa privately admired the blonde woman – it was her letter after all, the contents were private, why should she share them with anyone else? She wondered who would win this battle of wills that was thinly veiled behind soft voices and pleasant words.

"Well I expect the nights are long," Lottie finally returned.

"Indeed," Catelyn said, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"No one likes to be alone and away from home," Lottie said, "perhaps writing a simple letter to me took his mind off it for a time"

"Perhaps," Catelyn forced a thin smile then that no one was fooled by.

Lottie turned her eyes back to her embroidery then but Sansa noticed how her mother didn't look away from her and it made her feel uneasy. To her credit Lottie was handling the pressure remarkably well, Sansa did not doubt that if her mother was staring at her like that she would break down in an instant and give up all the information she possessed. Lottie wasn't though and Sansa could tell that it was starting to irritate her mother so she decided to remind them both that she was still in the room.

"Is that Winterfell Lottie?" she asked and Lottie looked up at her, firmly avoiding Catelyn's stare.

"Yes," she said, her tone almost grateful, "I'm not sure how well I have captured it"

"Oh no, believe me it is perfect," Sansa told her, "It will look wonderful when you've finished it."

* * *

It was an hour before dawn when Robb and his men roused. The scouts had come the previous evening and told them that the Ironborn were camped along the beach – the weather making it impossible for them to set sail. They were sitting targets just as Jaime Lannister and his men had been all those years ago at the Whispering Wood. That felt like another lifetime to Robb as he tightened his sword belt around his armour and took his helm gratefully from Olyvar.

"Ready?" he asked his squire then and his good-brother managed a smile.

"Just like old times," Olyvar returned and Robb sent him a smile of his own.

"Only we're not so green now," Robb said as they stamped out of the tent.

"Nor so young," Olyvar added and Robb chuckled slightly in response.

Robb pulled on his helm then as the other men gathered around him and his Lords. They all knew the drill, they had done this countless times during the war and not one of them had forgotten it. Robb and the Lords led off, flanked by the men that were sworn to protect them, the common soldiers swarming all around them. Their footsteps were light and careful as they made their way through the trees that slowly turned to scrub the closer they got to the beach. They could see no fires lit on the sand so could only assumed that the Ironborn had not yet risen.

They crouched down in the rushes as the leading men gave the signal to drop. They had clearly seen lookouts and Robb hissed down the line for the archers to pick them off. There was a distant sound of a couple of bodies hitting the ground a few seconds later and the signal to rise and charge was given. They did as they were told, moving as one perfectly drilled unit as they raced down the wet sand dunes towards the cluster of tents near the shoreline.

Several tents had been crushed and the occupants snuffed out before the Ironborn seemed to realise that they were under attack. They had no time to get themselves organised and almost all were without armour as Robb and his men hacked through them. Robb swung his sword fluidly and easily as though he were in the tiltyard. These men fell so quickly at his feet he almost felt guilty for the ease with which he was sending them to their drowned God. Then he remembered what they had done; the peaceful coastal towns they had been pillaging and ransacking and the innocent women that they had carried away to be their salt-wives.

The sand was wet with blood as well as rain by the time the attack was done. None were left alive save for the dozen or so women that were found with them. They all stood huddled together for warmth as the drizzle continued on and Robb gave orders for a fire to be lit for them. He then sent some men to find out where they were all from so he could ensure they were all returned safely to their homes. It sickened him how some men treated women. He had been raised never to raise his hand to a women nor to do anything to harm one. They were to be protected not shamed and forced to do things against their will. He thought of the two men in the woods who would have forced themselves on Lottie and his hands clenched.

"We could take the ships as well your Grace," the Greatjon said from his side then.

"What use have we for ships?" Robb questioned.

"Could salvage the timber?" his Lord suggested and he nodded.

"Aye," he agreed, "search them all first though … might be they have things of value that can be returned to the coastal towns"

"As you say your Grace," the Greatjon bowed then and Robb watched as he called a group of men to him and approached the three ships moored along the shore.

Robb turned back to the rest of his men then and saw they had suffered few losses, those that had fallen he shouted orders for the others to bury them and bury them deep. He didn't want the wolves nor any other creatures to get at them. Grey Wind whined softly at his side then and he rested his palm flat on his great beasts head to calm him. His wolf never liked the aftermath of battle, the scent of blood drove him almost wild.

"Your Grace!" Olyvar approached him then, "a message has been sent down from camp"

"Here," Robb said, holding his hand out for it and thanking Olyvar when he handed it over.

The seal was blank and his heart seemed to stop as he opened it, somehow he just knew that it was from Lottie and he was terrified to see what he response was to his declared feelings. Slowly his heart started to beat again as he took in her words carefully, taking each one in and pondering the meaning. By the end his heart was pounding. Her reply was careful, guarded even, but she had said enough. She had said more than enough. She felt the same he just knew it and the thought had a laugh of relief coming from his lips before he could stop it. Thankfully no one questioned him and he quickly tucked the precious letter into the top of his breastplate before the rain could get to it and ruin her words.

They would be done here soon and once they had packed up the camp they would be saddling up to return to Winterfell. He walked over to help the men who were digging graves for the dead then, ignoring their cries of protest that he was the King and it was not his duty. The quicker it was done the quicker they would leave. It was selfish he knew that but he wanted to go home.

He wanted to be back at Winterfell.

He wanted to be back with Lottie.

* * *

**A/N: **Ooooh it's getting serious!

Thoughts?

:)


	11. XI

**A/N: **Hey guys! New chapter, hope you enjoy it!

To the **guest **reviewer - so glad you're loving it, and I know daily updates would be great but I just can't write a chapter of this as quickly as I did with the others. It will likely stay and two or three chapters a week so I hope you can live with that!

Anyway, thoughts on this one would be ace!

* * *

**XI**

* * *

The light rain had turned into heavy downpours as Robb and his men rode back to Winterfell. When they entered their tents each night they would be soaked to the bone. All of them were used to such weather but there was a biting chill in the air that had been missing the last time they had experienced such rain. Everything was damp, even everything inside the tents. The only things they managed to keep vaguely dry were the furs and Robb wrapped himself tightly up in them every night and shivered himself warm until he finally fell asleep.

He had been dreaming of Roslin again, her image would plague him every time he closed his eyes. On some level he knew that he was thinking of her because of his decision to admit his feelings to Lottie. Some part of him still felt guilt and that guilt manifested itself in his dreams. He tried not to let it get to him, remembering Olyvar's words and remembering Roslin herself. She wouldn't want him to be miserable, she would understand the need for him to move on and remarry. He needed an heir if he was to be any kind of King. Bran would never be able to have children and Rickon was far from being of an age to marry. He was the King, it was his duty and his crown to pass onto his son when the time came for him to go to the Gods. He didn't want to pass that on to his little brother, his sweet, innocent brother. It was his burden to bear and his line to pass it down.

They weren't far from Winterfell now he knew that as they packed up the camp in the early light of the morning. The skies looked angry but thankfully it wasn't raining – yet. A few hours relief from the torrential downpours would be welcome indeed and Robb prayed that the rains would stay off for now. They would reach Winterfell as dusk began to settle if they made good progress. Robb had every hope that they would, they had been so far and everyone was desperate to get under a proper roof again so none of them complained about their King's relentless pace.

As he rode his thoughts drifted to Lottie, the beautiful young woman who was waiting for him. At least he hoped she was waiting for him, her letter had been full of her hopes that he would return soon and return safely. He couldn't wait to have her in his arms. He knew they had so much to say to one another but right now he just wanted to hold her. The rest could wait. He just wanted to hold her and feel how warm and real she was under his touch. He needed to feel that.

"Are you alright?" Olyvar asked from his side, snapping him out of it.

"I will be when we are back at Winterfell," Robb told him and he nodded.

"There's someone you're missing," Olyvar stated then and Robb flinched slightly. How did he know?

"What are you talking about?" he asked him and the man smiled wryly.

"I'm not a fool … I see the way you look at the Lady Charlotte," Olyvar told him and guilt stabbed him hard in the gut.

"I … there is nothing between us … nothing has happened," Robb told him firmly, meeting his eyes.

"Not yet at any rate," Olyvar said.

"Olyvar, I …" he began.

"You don't need to explain yourself to me, she's a beautiful young woman and if she makes you happy then you should be with her," Olyvar told him.

"But …" Robb started again.

"Don't go feeling guilt over Roslin," he cut him off, "she would want this for you, she would want you to be happy and move on with your life"

"I've been dreaming about her," Robb confessed then and his squire sighed.

"Because you've been feeling guilty," Olyvar guessed well.

"I keep telling myself it's alright," he nodded, "but she keeps coming for me and I feel like if I let myself be with Lottie properly that I will be betraying Roslin in some way and Lottie deserves better than a man who cannot love her because he is still caught up with his dead wife"

"I heard you denied Ser Johan permission to marry her," Olyvar said quietly then.

"I did," he nodded, "where did you hear it?"

"The men have been talking, I suppose you can guess what that means," Olyvar told him and he grimaced.

"I can," Robb said bitterly – they would think him a letch and Lottie a whore and the thought made him angry.

"Most know it's not true," Olyvar assured him.

"Most isn't all," Robb almost snarled.

"Don't worry about your reputation, you're the King, the people love you," he said then.

"It's not my reputation I'm thinking of," Robb replied quietly.

* * *

Catelyn huddled under the archway at the top of the steps as the rain lashed down. Stark banners had been spotted and one of the guards had come to fetch her as she had ordered them to when they saw any sign of her son returning. It had long since gone dark and most had already retired to bed. Her other children wanted to stay up and greet Robb too but she had insisted they go to bed and that they would see him in the morning for breakfast. His Lords were returning with him as well and she had made sure the guest rooms had been made up for them. No doubt they would want to rest at Winterfell for a few days before they returned to their own homes.

Catelyn felt oddly satisfied that Robb was arriving so late, if he had arrived earlier as had been expected then there would have been more of a crowd to greet him. A crowd that would no doubt have included Lottie Lannister. At least this way she could keep her son away from her for one more night. The letter still troubled her. Lottie had not told her the truth and she knew it. All she could do was guess what the contents were and that only led to even more troubling thoughts. The Maester had told her, after some gentle persuasion, that Lottie had sent a letter back to Robb. On being pressured further he revealed that she had been full of smiles when she had brought it to him and insistent that he sent one of his best ravens. From that he had concluded that the letter must be of some importance and Catelyn had reluctantly agreed with him.

She drew her furs closer around her as the sound of hooves clattering against the stones came through the rain. He would be here any second. For some inexplicable reason her mind was pulled back to the Twins and the time they had rode under the gates for what would become Robb's wedding. He had been so apprehensive.

"_Try not to frown so much when you're before Lord Frey," she scolded him gently. _

"_Am I supposed to look thrilled?" he countered moodily._

"_This is supposed to be your wedding not a funeral," she shot back._

"_A wedding I never wanted," he snapped and she felt the guilt gnaw at her._

"_It was the only way you know it was," she reminded him desperately. _

"_I know," he huffed as they rode under the gates._

"_You know … you might be pleasantly surprised," she told him gently and he snorted._

"_Somehow mother, I doubt it," he said with finality. _

She pulled herself away from that memory then as the horses began to pull up in front of the keep. The men from the stables were there at once to tend to the weary mounts but Catelyn's eyes were firmly fixed on her son as he strode quickly towards her, his dark auburn curls almost black from the rain that had soaked them.

"You look in need of a hot bath and a good night's sleepy," Catelyn smiled as he reached her.

"You're not wrong there mother," he said wryly and she ushered him inside.

"I had the maids fetch hot water when your banners were spotted," she told him in the hallway.

"Thank you," Robb said gratefully, his teeth chattering slightly.

"There is also some of the good Dornish wine in your chambers," she added.

"Wonderful," he said honestly as he made his way towards the stairs, water dripping down onto the stone floor as he moved towards them.

Once up in his rooms he let his armour crash to the floor, pouring himself a large glass of rich wine and taking a long and grateful sip before moving towards the washroom, shedding clothing as he went. When he sank down into the hot water he felt the cold seeping out of his bones and he sighed out his relief. He let his mind wander as he relaxed in the soothing water. Wander to Lottie. He wondered if she was asleep or if she had stayed awake knowing he was returning. Would she have expected him to go straight to her?

That thought had him pulling himself up and out of the water and grabbing a large drying cloth to hurriedly rub the excess moisture from his body. He moved back into the main chamber then and pulled some clean clothing from the dresser, rubbing the drying cloth firmly through his hair for a moment before letting it drop and quickly dressing himself. He pulled on a dry pair of boots then and made towards the door, stopping just as he reached it and walking back towards the dresser and pulling out a cloak. The rain was still lashing down and even though it was only a short walk to the west wing he would be soaked again in an instant if he went out as he was.

Thankfully he saw no one as he hurried through the keep and slipped out of the main door. He huddle under the archway for a moment and lifted the cloak up above his head to shield him from the worst of the rain before he ran down the steps and across the courtyard. He practically fell through the door of the west wing and took the steps up towards Lottie's room two at a time. His pace slowed as he walked down the hallway towards her door, his mind finally working again and wondering what in the name of the Gods he was going to say to her.

* * *

Lottie turned from the fire when she heard the knock on the door. Her heart seemed to skip and she tightened her robe further about her before moving to answer it. It was Robb she just knew it. She had heard the clattering of hundreds of hooves through her peaceful sleep and had pulled herself out of bed. She hadn't known if he would come to her tonight or wait until the morning but either way she was in no mood for sleep anymore. Seems he wasn't either she concluded as she opened the door to reveal him stood there, his curls damp and tangled and a slightly apprehensive look in his eyes.

"I wasn't sure you'd come," she said honestly after a moment of awkward silence.

"I wasn't sure you'd be awake," he returned.

"I heard you returning I … I couldn't get back to sleep," she told him, stepping back slightly so he could come into the room.

"You got my letter," he said unnecessarily once he had closed the door behind him.

"Yes," she nodded, "and … you … did you get mine?"

"I did," he swallowed hard, his eyes finally meeting hers, his tongue darting out to nervously lick his lips.

"Robb …" she began but words failed her as he suddenly closed the gap between them and pulled her right into his arms.

Her hands clenched around him, holding tight to the leather of his doublet as his own crushed her silk clad body against his, his hands tight around her waist. As one they moved their heads, his leaning down as hers tilted up. When their lips met Lottie's heart sped up alarmingly and Robb's hands clenched even tighter in her silks. It wasn't the chaste kiss he had pressed to her lips in the armoury. It was real. It was deep and it meant something. Her hands snaked up and slid around his neck, the action somehow bringing their bodies even closer to one another.

They were pressed so tightly now that Robb could feel desire swelling him and he kissed Lottie even more insistently, slipping his tongue into her mouth to massage her own. A tiny noise of pleasure hummed at the back of her throat as he did so and she responded enthusiastically. Robb's feelings were raging now and he pushed her back slightly towards the bed. At his movement Lottie suddenly came to her senses and somehow managed to wrench her lips from Robb's. He was so surprised at the suddenness of her action that he let his hands come from her waist and she took a few steps away from him, breathing hard.

"I … can't …" she gasped out, "we … can't, I'm … sorry …"

"Lottie?" he frowned at her. What did she mean? Had she not meant what she had written in her letter? She considered him then and his heart pounded as he waited for her to explain.

"I won't be your mistress," she said then, "I won't do it … I'm better than that Robb. I know my name means nothing here but that doesn't mean that I will be used like that. I am still a highborn Lady no matter what they say about me and mine … I will not lower myself to be used in such a way, no matter how much I care for you … how much I want you. I won't do it Robb. I won't. I …"

She stopped then to draw breath and Robb knew that if he was going to stop her that he best stop her now before she continued on with her tirade.

"I wouldn't take you as my mistress," he told her then, his eyes not leaving hers.

"Oh …" she said in a tiny voice, a flush creeping onto her cheeks as she thought on what she had just said to him.

"I would take you as my wife," he continued and she stared at him in disbelief.

"Are you mad?" she whispered and a frown creased his brow as she continued to stare.

"No," he shook his head, "why would you ask me that?"

"Have you forgotten who I am? Where I am from?" she questioned him, her own head shaking.

"That matters nothing to me," he said insistently.

"I know that," she almost snapped, "but this isn't about you … what about your Lords? Your people?"

"This is my choice," he said firmly but she was already shaking her head again.

"Your Lords won't like it, your people won't like it … and your mother … well … she will hate it," she told him.

"My Lords have already agreed that my wife is my choice. The people will not care who I choose so long as they have enough food in their bellies and enough wood for their fires when winter comes. And as for my mother … well … she may not like it but I am her son and she will respect and support my decision," he countered her, his eyes never leaving hers.

Lottie dropped her gaze then as she tried to make sense of what Robb was asking her. He wanted to marry her?! The whole thing seemed utterly ridiculous. She hadn't known what to expect when he had knocked on her door but it had not been this. The thought that he would even consider taking her as his wife, as his _Queen_, was an utterly ridiculous one.

Robb watched her calmly as she thought. He knew she was thinking, a small crease always appeared between her eyebrows when she was thinking. It was clear to him that she hadn't expected his proposal and he suddenly realised that it had not been a very heartfelt one.

"I wouldn't have the first idea how to be Queen," she finally whispered.

"Forget about being Queen," he urged her, taking a step towards her, "forget about names and titles and all the ridiculous pomp and ceremony and just tell me what you would say if I was just a man and you were just a woman"

"I would say yes," she told him, meeting his gaze, "I would not hesitate for a moment"

"Then marry me," he stressed.

"But you are the King!" she burst out in frustration.

"Then what?! You want me to give up my crown for you?!" he almost shouted at her.

"No of course I don't!" she said desperately, "I don't want you to give up anything for me!"

"Then what?!" he asked just as desperately, "What do I have to do?!"

She didn't reply, she didn't know what to say so she settled for turning away from him. He wasn't about to let her though and he reached his hand out to grab at her hand at pull her back towards him. Before she could utter a word in protest he pulled her into his arms again and she couldn't help but cling to him, his safe warmth feeling so good enveloping around her. She breathed in the scent of him and wished it could just be as simple as her saying 'yes'. She could say yes. What did she have to lose? Nothing, was the answer. But Robb had so much to lose and if he staked it all on her and lost would he ever be able to forgive her?

"You know how much I care about you," he breathed against her hair then.

"I do," she agreed, clutching him slightly closer to her.

"And I know you care about me," he continued.

"I do," she repeated and she felt him place a kiss to the top of her head.

"Do you trust me Lottie?" he asked her then.

"With my life," she replied without hesitation.

"Then will you please trust that I wouldn't ask you to be my wife if I didn't know that everything would be alright?" he questioned gently.

"Robb … I …" she began but he didn't want to hear anymore of her doubts and negativity.

"I want you," he said firmly, "I would take no other; would you really deny the Northerner's a Queen?"

"I think they would rather no Queen than a southern one with the name Lannister," she told him.

"If you married me your name would be Stark," he countered and she couldn't help but smile.

"I do quite like the sound of Lottie Stark," she confessed after a moment and he pushed her away slightly so he could meet her eyes.

"Is that a 'yes'?" he breathed and she bit her lip slightly.

"Are you certain?" she checked with him, her eyes not leaving his.

"Have you not been listening?" he countered with a laugh and she couldn't help but join in.

"Yes," she finally said.

"Yes what?" he asked her and she swallowed hard.

"Yes I will marry you," she whispered.

Robb almost cheered in sheer relief but managed to keep a hold of himself, grinning widely at her before he bent his head to claim her lips again. It was even more furious than before, escalating almost at once, Robb once again moving her back towards the bed. This time she made no move to pull away or stop him and when they toppled back onto the mass of furs and blankets she shivered in anticipation as his weight pressed down against her. He was heavy but his body felt so good on top of hers and she let her fingers tangle in his curls as his lips continued to bruise hers.

All of Robb's carefully hidden and supressed feelings for her all seemed to bubble up to the surface then, his desire almost painful under his breeches. He let his hands wander her silk covered body, slipping his hand between the pair of them and tugging at the tie around her waist. Finally it came loose and he pulled her robe open, feeling her thin nightdress underneath, his hand wandering up so he could cup one of her breasts. She arched into his touch and he began to gently massage her, letting his thumb brush across one hardening bud, the desire to move his mouth from hers and engage it elsewhere almost overwhelming.

Lottie had never felt her stomach clench the way it was now, the warm wetness that she could feel pooling between her thighs had her almost blushing at her wantonness. She knew she should push Robb away, she knew that if they surrendered to this now they would have sinned in the eyes of the Gods. Men and women should not lay together unless they were husband and wife. She knew that. She had always known that since she had been old enough to understand what bedding was. Robb's hand at her breast and his lips against hers made it near impossible to think rationally though and the ache between her thighs was begging for relief.

As Robb's hand wandered to her thigh and began to bunch up the silk though she somehow found it in her to turn her head from his kiss. He was unperturbed though, his lips taking up his cause at her neck as she suddenly felt his rough, calloused hand on her bare thigh.

"Robb we can't," she moaned out, her body screaming at her to be quiet and let him have her.

"Don't deny me now Lottie please," he whispered against her neck, his hand on her thigh stilling; the one on her breast teasing her bud between his fingers.

"We can't," she moaned again, her body betraying her and arching even closer into him.

"I need you," he groaned back at her, his teeth grazing along the skin of her throat.

"Robb the wedding will not be for months … what if you put a child in me … everyone would know and they whisper enough as it is," she managed to get out.

"Damn it all," he growled against her neck. He knew she was right but he was aching for her.

It took all the strength he possessed to move his hand from her thigh and the other from her breast and push himself up and away from her. He tried to ignore the throbbing in his breeches but he knew it was no good, he would have to take care of it himself when he went back to his chambers. Lottie was flushed and breathless as she tugged down her nightdress and retied her robe about her. She watched him carefully, biting down gently on her lower lip as he got up off the bed.

"I'm sorry," she said as he went to pick up his discarded cloak from the back of her chair.

"Don't be," he shook his head, "you're right … it would have been a sin. You are to be my wife and I promised you I would never compromise your honour"

"Are you leaving?" she asked him then and he sighed heavily, he was loathe to go but he had to.

"Lottie if I stayed I am not sure I could refrain a second time," he told her honestly.

"What happens now?" she asked him then, a blush creeping onto her cheeks at his words.

"Well … the Lords are still here so I will speak with them in the morning," he answered.

"And then?" she questioned.

"And then I will tell my family," he continued.

"Your mother is going to hate it," she said knowingly and he grimaced.

"She will accept it when she sees how happy I am," he said although he was not entirely convinced by his own words.

"If you say so," Lottie said lightly and he knew that she too didn't believe it.

"Then a declaration will be sent to all the Lords of Westeros and to King Stannis announcing our betrothal and imminent union," he finished and she nodded.

"Imminent?" she questioned him with a small smile and a raised brow.

"The sooner the better," he almost growled, raking his eyes once more over her body.

* * *

**A/N: **Well that got things going! Importantly though, there's no mention of love yet ... that's still a way away!

Hope you enjoyed anyhow!

More soon(ish)

:)


	12. XII

**A/N: **It's reaction time!

Also, for the **guest **who was curious, I'm from the UK (Wales)

:)

* * *

**XII**

* * *

When Lottie woke for a second she felt a rising sense of panic, thinking that it had all just been one vivid dream. Slowly though she began to accept that it was reality, the light bruise on her neck where Robb had grazed his teeth along her skin only helped to confirm it as she stood in front of the mirror. She touched her fingers lightly to it, remembering how good his weight had felt on top of her and how much she had wanted him inside her.

"_A man will take a woman for pleasure and she will lay there and endure it. There is no pleasure to be found in bedding Charlotte, it is all rather uncomfortable but necessary. Don't get any ideas that he will be attentive in bed – his own needs will come first and once he is spent his job is done."_

She shook her head at her reflection then and let her mother's voice ebb away. Lottie had felt any number of pleasures as she had lain beneath Robb and they had not even gone so far as to consummate their union. His hand had felt so good as it tended her breast through the silk of her nightdress. She could only imagine how much better it would feel when he placed it on her bare skin. She shuddered at the thought, the ghost of an ache between her thighs coming back to her then. She turned to the dresser then and pulled out a simple dress and quickly slid out of her nightclothes and into it before turning back to the mirror.

Her hair was mussed and she picked up her brush and began running it through the long blonde strands until they all slowly detangled. As she brushed she wondered vaguely whether Robb was with his Lords yet. What would they say? Would they try and dissuade him from marrying her? Would they succeed?

She shook her head then. Robb had been adamant that he wanted her and she knew him well enough by now to know that he was a man who stayed true to his word. That was why she had been so close to giving herself to him completely the night before. She knew that he was so good and honourable that he would still go ahead and marry her even if he had already been between her legs.

"_Tears are not a woman's only weapon, we also have one between our thighs. It is best to learn that now, likely it will be the only power you have over your husband. But remember Charlotte, your maidenhead must be intact. Don't go giving it to some charming young stable boy with a twinkle in his eye because once your innocence is gone then you are spoiled and worth nothing."_

Lottie sighed and put down the brush. Her innocence was gone. Gone nearly five years ago after the men had torn her beautiful wedding gown away from her and leered at her, pawing at her naked flesh as they had shoved her into the room with Lyndon. She had been terrified at the sight of his naked body, terrified as she managed to peek at what was between his legs. She hadn't been able to comprehend how that would possibly fit inside her. Surely she would break?

He had been gentle with her but Gods it had hurt. Remembering her pain made her almost glad that her innocence was gone and that Robb could not take it. When she lay with him there would be no pain. She smiled slightly. Her mother had been wrong again. A man did want her even though she was spoiled. A King no less. Robb didn't think she was worth nothing. He thought her beautiful. He wanted her for his wife. His Queen. He wanted _her _and that sent pleasurable shivers running through her body.

* * *

"My Lords," Robb greeted as he strode into the room, "my Lady," he added to Maege Mormont who offered him a smile and a nod at his consideration.

"Your Grace," the returning greeting was echoed round the room as Robb lowered himself into the chair at the head of the table.

The sound of their chairs scraping against the stone floor filled his ears then as they all took their own seats, having remained standing behind them until their King had been seated. Robb looked up at them as the noise dimmed and he saw that they were all sat expectantly, open curiosity on some of their faces. He sighed slightly heavily and said a silent prayer.

"You remember I'm sure what we spoke of before we rode out to the coast," Robb began.

"Aye your Grace," several muttered while others merely nodded or murmured agreement.

"I have thought on it … and I have made the decision to take another wife," he told them.

"Have you given any thought as to who you would choose your Grace?" Lord Karstark asked him.

"I have already made my decision," Robb confirmed and many exchanged puzzled glances.

"Then who is to be our new Queen?" the Greatjon asked then.

"My intended is Lady Charlotte Morvay," he announced and for a long moment there was silence.

"A southerner?" Lord Bolton questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Was she not married to a Lannister soldier?" Maege Mormont frowned.

"Surely your Grace would prefer a maid," Lords Karstark said disbelievingly before he could answer.

"Her late husband was a knight," Robb corrected, "and her previous marriage does not trouble me, as my own does not trouble her"

"It is not an … obvious choice …" the Greatjon said uncomfortably and Robb caught his meaning well enough.

"I have no doubt at all in my mind that Lady Charlotte will be a good Queen and a good wife," he said firmly and the older man nodded.

Robb could see from the look in his eye that the Greatjon had accepted his words and would not speak out against him choosing Lottie. He let his gaze wander slowly to each of his other Lords in turn now, trying to read their reaction. Wondering which one of them would speak out first and what they would say. Would it be blessings or outrage?

"If your Grace is certain then House Manderly trusts your judgement as ever," Lord Manderly said.

"Thank you," Robb told him, looking him dead in the eyes.

"House Umber is with you, I wouldn't desert you now lad," the Greatjon grinned.

"As ever, I appreciate your unwavering support," Robb said meaningfully and the older man nodded.

"The Karstark's will forever be your kin and loyal banners," Lord Karstark nodded then.

"And I am forever grateful for it," Robb nodded in return.

"The Dreadfort is loyal to the crown," Lord Bolton said simply.

"Thank you my Lord," he inclined his head to the man.

"As is Bear Island," Maege Mormont nodded, "if you are certain of Lady Charlotte then so are we"

"I am," Robb confirmed, "and thank you"

It was all going so much better than Robb had thought it would. He had assured Lottie that everything would be alright and that his Lords would accept it but he hadn't expected them to be quite so compliant. They trusted him he knew that much and he supposed that now he was really testing how far that trust stretched. It seems it went far enough as it was not long before each of them had pledged their support to him and his choice of bride. He allowed himself to smile when it was done, out of sheer relief more than anything.

At least he would not have to waste time arguing with them about his intent to marry Lottie. He could save all his energy for confronting his mother with the news now. Convincing the Lords had been easy when he considered exactly how angry his mother would be. He hoped he would be able to explain himself, to convince her that Lottie was a good woman. Good for him. The best thing for him. If he had to move on then he would move on with her. He could love her. He already cared deeply for her. He had to make his mother see that, and if she wouldn't …

Well, he would deal with that situation if it arose.

"Thank you all my Lords, my Lady," Robb said then, rising up from his chair and letting his gaze wander to each of their faces again.

"Your Grace," they all murmured back, inclining their own heads.

"Now unless there is anything else …?" he tailed off and none of them spoke up, "Good, then I will leave you all to continue recovering from our long journey."

He swept from the room then and let another smile spread across his face for a moment as he thought of Lottie. At least he could reassure her that the Lords were for their marriage and had happily accepted that it would happen. Now he just had to see his mother. Somehow he doubted that he would be able to give Lottie the same assurances about her when he saw her later. Thinking about seeing her once he had finished telling his family gave him the strength to climb the stairs and walk down the hallway that led to his mother's chambers. Telling his siblings would be easy. Each one of them thought highly of Lottie and he just knew that they would be more than accepting of his intention to marry her.

That was why he was saving them until last. He needed something to look forward to he reminded himself with a slight grimace as he raised his fist to knock on his mother's door.

* * *

Catelyn smiled brightly when she saw Robb stood on the other side of her door. He had been absent at breakfast and she had been worried he was with Lottie but the Maester had told her he was meeting with the Lords as he had handed her the mornings post. She had been cheered by that and was even happier now that he had come to see her after his meeting rather than seeking out the fair girl that he had been spending so much time with before he had ridden out. Perhaps some time apart from her had dulled his feelings. Catelyn could only hope so as she ushered him in and set about pouring them both a glass of wine. She handed Robb his and they clinked their glasses together lightly before both taking a sip. Robb lowered himself into a chair then and Catelyn followed suit, taking the seat opposite him and contemplating him for a moment. He looked peaceful. Happy even.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" she asked him curiously.

"I have news," he told her before taking a long drink of wine.

"Bad news?" she questioned and he shook his head.

"I had a meeting with the Lords this morning," he said.

"I heard," she nodded slightly.

"To discuss my marrying again," he told her and she raised her eyebrows.

"You are considering it?" she asked him in surprise.

"It's more than a consideration," he confessed and her brows raised even further.

"What do you mean?" she questioned.

"I spoke with the Lords to gain their blessing and they have given me it," he told her.

"Blessing?" she repeated, "Robb …"

"I am betrothed mother," he said then, his voice slightly strangled.

"To whom?" she asked, her eyes narrowing at him.

"Lottie," he said after an intensely uncomfortable moment of silence.

Robb watched as a look of what he could only describe as pure fury crossed his mother's face. Before he could think of anything else to say she was up on her feet and pacing up and down. When he thought he could take it no more she turned on him and had he been standing he would have taken several steps away from her at the look she gave him.

"What are you thinking?!" she finally demanded.

"I care about her … it feels right," he told her calmly.

"Right?!" she repeated incredulously, "Gods Robb, what is this?! Have you bed her?!"

"No!" he exclaimed, getting to his own feet now.

"Then why?!" she shot back at him, pure disbelief in her eyes.

"What do you have against her?!" he countered, his own anger rising now.

"You know what," she snapped, "you have only just come out of a war, I cannot believe you would risk another one!"

"War?!" he questioned her incredulously, "There will be no war! The people may whisper for a time but the Lords are with me"

"If the people whisper loud enough the Lords will soon change their minds," she hissed at him.

"You underestimate their loyalty. There were hundreds of times during the war when they could have turned their backs on me but they didn't. They fought at my side – for the North and we won mother. They chose me as King – they are with me!"

Catelyn had nothing to say to that so she merely turned away from him again and resumed her pacing, her mind racing with what he had told her. How could he be this foolish? How could he not see that she was a bad choice? She was a widow and a southern one at that. The widow of a man who had actively fought against Robb and descended from a house that was now under intensely close scrutiny from King Stannis because of its unwavering loyalty to their sworn house Lannister.

"How can you not see that this is the wrong decision?" she asked him quietly.

"How can you not see how happy I am?" he countered.

"Robb I am pleased you can be happy again but if you can be happy with her then why not with someone else?" she pleaded.

"Because I _want _her," he said stubbornly and she almost stamped her foot in frustration.

"I am begging you Robb … it is not too late, you can reconsider," she implored him.

"I have made my choice," he insisted.

"Robb …" she started.

"No," he cut her off sharply, "I am marrying Lottie mother whether you like it or not. And if I have to do it without your blessing then I will!"

"Robb … please …" she began again.

"No more," he said firmly, "I will not hear another word against her or against our betrothal."

* * *

When Robb slammed the door of her chamber closed after him Catelyn let out a frustrated noise and snatched up her glass of wine, gulping it down quickly before slamming it back down on the table so hard that she was surprised it didn't shatter. Her son was being irrational. Only he couldn't see it, he couldn't understand what a huge mistake he was making. Maybe she couldn't get through to him but she would be damned if she just let this go. This betrothal was a mistake and if she couldn't make him see that then she would have to try and make Lottie see it.

She made up her mind then, pulling her cloak down from the hooks next to her door and fastening it about her shoulders before she crashed out of her room, her steps brisk and determined as she made her way down the stairs and across the hallway. The guards bowed lowly for her but she didn't bestow her usual smile on them, her focus solely on her destination as she crossed the courtyard. She hoped that Lottie was alone and did not have Robb with her. That would only make things ten times worse. Robb had said before he had left her that he was going to announce his news to his siblings and then to the people of Winterfell at the evening feast. Hopefully Catelyn would be able to get through to Lottie before that happened and he made a fool of himself.

Catelyn knocked sharply on the door when she reached the guest rooms that she knew Lottie resided in. She had never deigned to visit the girl before and hopefully she would never have to again. When the young woman answered Catelyn swept passed her before she could say a word in greeting and Lottie was instantly on edge. She swallowed hard before she turned to face the woman that would soon be her good-mother. Catelyn's eyes were very much like Robb's but he had never looked at her the way his mother was now and she silently prayed that he never would.

"Lady Stark?" she said, quietly and uncertainly.

"What will it take?" Catelyn demanded.

"I'm sorry … what will what take?" Lottie asked her, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"What will it take for you to leave Winterfell and never return?" she asked her and Lottie stared.

"Why in the name of the Seven would I leave Winterfell?" she asked incredulously.

"I don't know how you did it, how you snared him but you will ruin him if you stay here and go ahead with this ridiculous marriage!" Catelyn almost shouted at her.

"I'm sorry Lady Stark but Robb asked for my hand and I gave him it willingly, I would not change my mind, and I would not humiliate him by leaving," she said firmly.

"What do you have over him?" Catelyn asked her, her eyes narrowing.

"I don't know what you mean," Lottie shook her head, "I care for Robb and he for me, I only want to be a good wife and Queen"

"Is that it? You want a crown?" Catelyn hissed.

"No," Lottie shook her head even more insistently.

"Was that your plan from the start?" she persisted.

"I never expected this," Lottie told her, meeting her eyes, "I was as surprised as anyone when he asked me and I had my concerns but Robb assured me that it would be alright"

"Foolish girl," Catelyn said dismissively, "the North will never accept you"

"The North has been kind to me so far," Lottie returned, keeping her expression smooth.

"I will give you anything you want, name it," Catelyn implored her.

"I am not leaving here Lady Stark," she said firmly, "I care very much for Robb and I do not doubt that in time I will love him – I will not leave"

"Even if it is what is best for him? If you care so much surely you want that?" Catelyn tried.

"He is a grown man, if he considers me good enough for him then I accept that gladly, he cares for me Lady Stark whether you like it or not," she said, her tone hardening.

"You will never replace Roslin in his affections," Catelyn told her spitefully then.

"I am well aware of that," Lottie stated calmly, "I would never seek to try, as I said, I only want to be a good wife and Queen"

"Oh Robb may be foolish enough to take you as his wife," Catelyn spat, "but you will never be Queen, I will see to that myself. You may enjoy them bowing to you and calling you 'your Grace' but you will be crowned over my dead body!"

Lottie said nothing, she merely swallowed hard and stared back as impassively as she could manage at the woman in front of her. She understood that Catelyn felt protective of her son, was worried that her blackened name might reflect badly on him but she had never imagined the woman would go as far as to try and get her to leave. Had she truly thought she would go? She met Catelyn's eyes then and saw the hardness in them. Her future good-mother was not going to be softened, she concluded after a moment. Still Lottie said nothing and eventually Catelyn moved towards the door of her room. Lottie turned when she heard her open it and they locked eyes again for a moment.

"I beg of you … reconsider. Change your mind. Do what is right for Robb," Catelyn implored her.

Still Lottie said nothing and the older woman eventually stepped out into the hallway and closed the door behind her. When she was gone Lottie finally let out the breath she had been holding. She wished Robb would come, she needed his reassuring arms around her. She hoped that his meeting with the Lords had gone better than the conversation with his mother evidently had. She also hoped that his brothers and sisters would be pleased – Lottie was incredibly fond of all of them and she would hate it if they suddenly turned on her. She sat herself down then, her hands trembling slightly. Her encounter with Lady Stark had shaken her a lot more than she had allowed herself to show when she had still been in the room with her.

All Lottie could do now was stand her ground and hope that Robb's mother came around eventually.

* * *

By the time another knock sounded on her door Lottie had managed to calm herself down somewhat. She was supposed to be happy, she reminded herself, she was betrothed – this time to a man that she truly cared about, a man that would make her truly happy. She smiled at that thought as she crossed to open the door, her smile widening when the man himself was revealed. His own smile looked slightly relieved as she stepped aside to let him in. As soon as the door closed his arms were around her and she breathed in the scent of him and reminded herself that he was worth a thousand hateful words from his mother's lips. Her words couldn't hurt her. Not so long as she had Robb.

"How did it go with the Lords?" she asked him when they finally broke apart.

"Well," he told her and she saw no trace of a lie, "they have all given their support and blessing"

"Good," she smiled, the nagging worry easing somewhat.

"And my siblings are thrilled," he added, "I have just seen them, they cannot wait for tonight"

"I suspect your mother can," she said knowingly and his smile turned into a grimace.

"She'll come round," he tried to sound certain and she raised an eyebrow at him.

"I doubt that," she muttered and he didn't contradict her.

"Never mind her now, tonight is about us. You look beautiful, are you ready to go down?" he asked.

"Are you sure you want to announce it so soon?" she questioned him.

"The sooner it is announced the sooner we can make plans," he answered her, pecking her lips.

"Alright," she nodded, bringing a smile back to her lips and leading the way out of the room at his invitation.

Once in the hallway he offered his arm and she took it. Suddenly though it all felt so different, she wasn't merely walking with him as a friend anymore. She was to be his wife. She would spend the rest of her life with this man at her side. He would be her friend, her lover, her constant companion and, she thought with a slight pang, the father of her children.

"Are you alright?" he asked her, sensing her sudden discomfort.

"I just had a sudden thought of Arthur," she confessed and he let his free hand come and grip the one she had laid on his arm.

"It's okay," he said softly, "we don't have to go into the hall until you're ready"

"I'm fine," she assured him, "I was just thinking of us and the thought that … well … that we might have children of our own soon enough"

"I hope so," he said quietly but she heard the underlying longing in his voice.

"I want it too," she whispered, "I just don't know how I will feel when the time comes"

"Whatever you feel will you promise that you will talk to me?" he asked her gently.

"I promise you," she agreed, looking up and meeting his blue gaze for a moment.

He merely smiled in response as they approached the doors of the dining hall. Robb nodded to the guards as they walked right through and Lottie tightened her grip on his arm slightly as she felt the eyes of hundreds of people on them. On her. She could almost feel the whispers licking at her skin as they approached the top table. She saw Catelyn sat stony faced, not in her usual place on Robb's immediate right but one place down. That was Lottie's place now she realised. Even though they were not yet married Robb wanted her in the centre of attention so he could announce his intentions to the people.

She swallowed hard as they walked up the few steps and made their way behind those who had risen to their feet at their entrance. They would not be seated until Robb was or until he bid them to. When they reached the two chairs in the centre Lottie dropped her hand from Robb's arm and he pulled her chair out and then his own. They both stepped in front of them but remained standing.

"Please, sit," Robb bid the rest of the room and it suddenly struck Lottie how commanding and King-like his voice sounded.

She clenched one of her hands behind her back then and took a deep breath while everyone did as Robb bid, all their faces turning back to look at them once they had taken their seats. Lottie didn't think Robb need bother with the announcement, it was clear from where she was stood at his side what he was going to say. Still, he reached his hand out and she placed hers in his.

"People of Winterfell," he began, "may I present to you the Lady Charlotte Morvay as my future wife and your future Queen. I would have you all raise a toast to her; the future Queen in the North"

"Queen in the North!" the cry was echoed around the hall then, the people raising their glasses high before drinking deeply from them. Lottie scanned the hall as she and Robb sat as one but she could see no one looking particularly displeased. Well, no one besides Ser Johan who was whispering furiously to a woman who narrowed her eyes slightly at Lottie when she caught her gaze. Lottie met the woman's stare evenly until she eventually blushed and turned away. Lottie smirked a little to herself then before turning her own head to thank Robb for pouring her a glass of wine.

He smiled at her as she took a sip and she returned it when she lowered her glass.

"You see," he murmured quietly to her then, "I told you that everything would be fine."

* * *

**A/N: **Thoughts?

More soon.

:)


	13. XIII

**A/N: **Hey guys! I meant to get this out yesterday but real life ran away with me!

Hope you enjoy, let me know!

:)

* * *

**XIII**

* * *

Lottie watched Robb as he carefully read through the parchment. On it was the announcement of their betrothal and if Robb agreed with the wording it would be printed multiple times and sent out to all the Lords of the North and to certain other Lords in the Kingdom's of the south. Both she and Robb would have to sign each announcement and she vaguely wondered if she would be signing her name 'Morvay' or 'Lannister'. She would have to ask Robb what the steward had written on the announcement so she would know. It had been so long since she had had to sign anything official and she did not remember once signing anything of importance when she was unmarried. Surely the announcement would name her Lannister as that was her legal name and it was an official, royal paper that she would be signing.

The only Lord who would receive a different version of the announcement was Walder Frey. Robb didn't want him to be presented with a mere statement, he wanted to write him a personal letter in his own hand but Lottie knew he was struggling with it. She had offered to help but he had declined her offer rather briskly. He had apologised later and she had happily accepted. She knew that she should probably tell her own parents that she was remarrying, especially as by doing so she would become a Queen but even the thought of telling them made her feel ill. They wouldn't be interested. Or worse, they would be outraged. They would find out eventually she knew that much. Perhaps it was better it came from her.

She was pulled out of her dilemma by Robb sighing and lowering the parchment he had been reading over. She looked at him expectantly as he placed it down on the table in front of them.

"Well?" she questioned, "Is it alright to send out?"

"Yes, it's fine," he said although she noticed that he didn't sound thoroughly convinced.

"How will I need to sign my name?" she asked him then and he looked instantly awkward.

"You are named Lannister … I asked the steward but … it is your legal name so it must be that way," he told her.

"Fine," she said easily and he frowned slightly.

"Are you sure?" he asked her.

"It has been my name for five years. Everyone knows I was married to a Lannister, I'm not ashamed of it," she shrugged.

"And nor do I want you to be," he said quickly.

"I know," she smiled reassuringly.

"Then I will send this back for the copies to be made," he said, leaning back easily in his chair.

"How long will it take?" she asked him.

"A few days," he said and she nodded.

"Have you written to Lord Frey yet?" she asked quietly then and he nodded.

"I sent it this morning," he told her, "have you written to you parents?"

"Not yet," she grimaced and he sighed.

"If you don't tell them they will hear soon enough when the announcements are sent out. Do you really want them to find out like that?" he questioned.

"No," she sighed, "I suppose not …"

"They might surprise you," he said softly and she snorted.

"I doubt that," she said shortly, avoiding his gaze and pretending to examine her fingernails.

He sighed and watched her for a moment. She hated being pushed on her parents and he hated doing it to her but at the end of the day they were her mother and father. He knew better than to carry on though – he had gone far enough. Whenever she couldn't look at him he knew that it was best to drop whatever he was talking about. She didn't do it often, only when her parents were brought up or when she felt she had said too much about Arthur. Robb didn't mind so much when it came to her mother and father because he knew well enough that she had no great love for them. It did bother him when she clammed up over her son though; he never wanted her to feel as though she had to forget him and never mention him once they were married. Before they became betrothed she would often talk about her baby but now she mentioned him less and less but Robb knew simply from the look on her face sometimes that she didn't think of him any less.

"Lottie?" he said softly, reaching his hand towards hers across the table.

"Yes?" she asked, looking up and stretching her own hand to meet his.

"I'm sorry I pushed you," he said, squeezing her hand in his.

"It's alright," she nodded, "I will write to them Robb … I promise."

* * *

Catelyn's eyes narrowed automatically as she walked into the hall and saw Sansa deep in conversation with Lottie at the top table. Robb was sat on Lottie's other side and he looked completely at ease and ever so slightly amused as he picked at his lunch. Lottie and Sansa appeared to have forgotten about their meal as they were so engrossed in their conversation. Catelyn wondered what they were talking about, feeling her eyes narrow even more as the pair of them stood up. Lottie turned to Robb and he smiled up at her and placed a kiss on her hand before he let her go, his betrothed trailing Sansa down from the table. Catelyn crossed paths with them, managing a smile for Sansa but completely ignoring the girl that followed her.

Robb stood as she continued on up to the high table and pulled out the chair on his left for her. He had given up seating her next to Lottie and moved her to the other side of him instead. It was an improvement for Catelyn but she would have preferred it if Lottie was not at the high table at all. She knew she would have to sit there by rights once she was Robb's wife but until that day came there was absolutely no reason for her to be there. Robb insisted though and she knew better than to argue. When they spoke to one another now neither of them mentioned Robb's upcoming marriage. Robb didn't want to antagonize his mother and Catelyn preferred to pretend that the whole thing wasn't happening.

She thanked Robb politely before seating herself and he reclaimed his own seat next to her and poured her a glass of wine which she again thanked him for as she pulled some food onto her plate. After she had been eating for a few minutes curiosity got the better of her and she decided that she wanted to know where Sansa had gone with Lottie.

"Where was Sansa going?" she asked him and she saw him stiffen out of the corner of her eye.

"She's going to the seamstress with Lottie," he told her evenly.

"I do hope she's not thinking of wearing white," she muttered without thinking and she saw Robb's hand clench around his knife.

"I don't know what colour she will be wearing," he said, fighting to keep his voice steady.

"I'm sorry," Catelyn said, she knew she had crossed a line, "that was unfair"

"Yes it was," he agreed, "she is a widow not a whore"

"I know," she said soothingly and he nodded once before picking up his wine glass again.

"You know you could always join them," he suggested after a few moments of silence.

"Oh no," she shook her head, "I have far too much to be getting on with"

Robb knew she was lying but he didn't call her up on it. He wasn't even sure why he had suggested it. If his mother had gone she would have put Lottie on edge and he wanted her to be able to have fun with Sansa and the seamstress as they decided on a dress for her. She had been excited that morning when he had gone to escort her for breakfast and he smiled slightly at the memory. He looked at his mother from the corner of his eye then and wished she could just give Lottie a chance. She had fawned over Roslin from the start and it pained him that she couldn't give the same consideration to the woman who would soon become his second wife.

"_Oh no, I think the green truly looks wonderful with your eyes," his mother complimented. _

"_Do you think so? Oh thank you Lady Stark," Roslin smiled widely at her as she toyed with the two fabrics in her hands._

"_My dear please, how many times … you must call me Catelyn," she stressed._

"_I'm sorry," Roslin smiled again, catching sight of Robb in the doorway and turning it on him. _

"_I don't know why you're bothering you would look beautiful in anything," he told her and she blushed slightly._

"_It's a coronation Robb … I want to look perfect for you, like a proper Queen – I wouldn't want to be a disappointment," Roslin told him seriously._

"_You could never disappoint me," he replied just as seriously as he came further into the room._

"_No indeed," his mother agreed, "you will look every inch the perfect Queen … you two make such a striking match."_

Robb gulped down some more wine then and turned to his mother. Roslin had meant a lot to her too and yet in his own turmoil he had never considered the grief that she might be feeling. Even when he found it in him to talk about Roslin it had been Lottie he had turned to and not his mother. Perhaps it would have helped her too to talk about it. Perhaps if he had taken that time with her she would not be so bitter towards Lottie now.

"I know you miss Roslin too," he said quietly after a few moments and she started.

"I cannot deny that, she was a wonderful young woman," she said eventually.

"I'm sorry if I pushed you away when I was grieving for her, I never considered that you were grieving too," he confessed.

"I understand," she told him, "she was your wife, you loved her"

"I still love her," he stressed, "but she's gone …"

"I know," she whispered.

"And it's not Lottie's fault," he said quietly.

His mother said no more but she nodded slightly and he had a vague hope that at least some of the tension that surrounded him when his mother and his future wife were in the same room would at least ease off a little bit. He repressed a snort then. He was fooling himself and he knew it. He didn't know what it would take for his mother to consider giving Lottie a chance but it would be a lot more than a few comforting words about Roslin.

* * *

Sansa watched as the seamstress tied Lottie tightly into the dress that she would be wearing for the wedding. It wasn't the traditional white gown that a maiden would wear because Lottie was a widow and therefore it would be inappropriate. Instead she had chosen a blue-grey silk that went perfectly with her eyes and was cut in a style that emphasised the curves of her body. Sansa thought she looked beautiful and she knew that the dress would go perfectly with the fine grey furs that Robb had gifted Lottie for the coming winter.

"You look wonderful," Sansa told her honestly when the seamstress stepped away from her.

"Thank you," Lottie smiled but Sansa could see that it did not quite reach her eyes.

"Are you alright?" she questioned her with a slight frown.

"Of course!" Lottie insisted, her tone just a little too bright.

"You know," Sansa turned to the seamstress then, "I would be ever so grateful if you could bring me some samples so I may choose fabric for my own dress"

"Of course my Lady," the seamstress curtseyed at once before making her way from the room.

"Now do you want to talk about it?" Sansa asked, her attention back on Lottie.

"Pour my some wine first," she said, one corner of her mouth twitching up into a smile.

Sansa returned her smile and stood to walk to the side table where she un-stoppered the decanter and poured out two healthy measures of Dornish red. She handed Lottie hers then and watched as the older woman took a long grateful sip before setting it down and sighing at the look on Sansa's face.

"_You need to get better at hiding your emotions Charlotte, no one likes a hysterical woman."_

She shook her head then and Sansa looked at her quizzically over the rim of her own glass.

"Is it something to do with my mother?" Sansa guessed well.

"It's no secret she disapproves of me," Lottie said, lowering herself down into a chair.

"It's not you really … it's your name," Sansa told her and she nodded.

"I wish I could do something about it but I can't … I was married to Lyndon and I can't change that, until Robb and I are wed my name is still Lannister," she said, shaking her head.

"You know my name is still Lannister," Sansa confessed quietly after a while.

"Still?" Lottie said in surprise, she would have though a way out of her marriage would have been sought for Sansa by now.

"The High Septon has been making things difficult … he says there is no proof that Lord Tyrion is dead and no proof that our marriage wasn't consummated," Sansa told her.

"So he won't annul it?" Lottie guessed.

"Robb left Stannis in charge of persuading him … he said if he had stayed any longer trying to talk sense into him then he would have ended up losing his temper and making things worse," she sighed.

"I am sorry Sansa," Lottie said honestly.

"I'm not sure I'm quite ready to marry again yet anyway," she told her truthfully.

"Well I'm sure by the time you are this whole mess will be sorted," Lottie smiled.

"I hope so," Sansa smiled back, "and you truly shouldn't worry about my mother … she so hates to admit she's wrong, but eventually she will come around"

"But I shouldn't be expecting any heartfelt apologies any time soon?" Lottie guessed.

"I wouldn't hold your breath," Sansa said with another smile.

"Thank you," Lottie said meaningfully then, "for everything … I cannot wait until we are sisters."

* * *

Robb watched Lottie as she danced with Sansa after dinner, the men of Winterfell seemed frightened to approach either of them and Robb smirked slightly. Was he really so terrifying that they wouldn't dare ask his betrothed or his sister to dance? He was pleased they were getting on so well though, a smile playing on his lips as he watched them laughing together as they twirled around and around. His mother was tense beside him but he paid her no mind – he had said what he had to say earlier and he was leaving her to work things out in her own mind now. His mind was set. He truly couldn't wait to marry Lottie and as soon as he received word back from the Twins he would set the date for the wedding. Everything was set, only the feast was yet to be organised. The only other thing left to decide was where they would say their vows. Robb would love to say them before the heart tree but he knew Lottie worshipped the Seven. He drained his glass then and decided the only way to decide would be to discuss it with her and he stood up and made his way down from the high table and towards his intended.

Lottie beamed at him as he approached and he couldn't help but smile widely back at her. She looked so beautiful with her face slightly flushed and tendrils of hair falling loose from all the dancing she had done. Sansa took a few steps away on purpose and Robb sent her a grateful look and a smile which she returned before wandering back towards the high table.

"May I have this dance?" Robb asked Lottie then, outstretching his hand.

"You may," she smiled widely at him, placing her hand in his.

He pulled her close to him then, probably closer than was strictly proper but he didn't care, they would be married soon. He kept his hands in the appropriate positions even though he wanted nothing more than to let them wander. Her own hand was light on his shoulder and the other clasped in his as they danced slowly, their steps mirroring one another's perfectly.

"You have quite the talent for dancing," she commented after a while.

"You sound surprised," he said in an amused tone and she smiled at him again.

"I would be lying if I said I wasn't," she admitted then and he chuckled.

"Dancing is not so different from sword fighting," he told her then.

"I think dancing poses less of a threat to life," she returned and he rolled his eyes at her.

"It's all in the footwork," he said, ignoring her jape and pulling her even closer to him.

Lottie could feel the heat between them as they were pressed so close together, the tension that surrounded them was almost suffocating and she wanted nothing more than for everyone in the hall to melt away so she could press her lips to his. She caught his eye then and she knew that he was thinking the exact same thing from the clouded look in his eyes. The whispers were reaching her ears then and they made her want to blush. She may not be able to make out the words but she knew they were about her and Robb and she didn't like it.

"They're whispering," she said lowly to him.

"Probably about how beautiful you look," he murmured in her ear.

"Somehow I doubt it," she said wryly and he sighed.

"Ignore them … let us just enjoy our dance while it lasts," he implored her.

"Yes," she agreed, "yes of course … I'm sorry"

"You have no reason to be sorry," he assured her as they continued to move.

Gods she felt so content in his arms and she began to relax as his thumb began tracing small circles on the small of her back, melting her tension away. Truly Robb was right. Ignore them. It didn't matter what the whisperers said. Soon she would be Robb's wife and then she could kiss him whenever she pleased and it wouldn't matter who could see. She breathed a contented little sigh then and his hand twitched around hers.

"I need to ask you something," he told her softly then.

"Go on," she urged him, moving her head so she could meet his eyes again.

"We need to decide where we will exchange vows," he said and she frowned slightly.

"The Godswood surely?" she said.

"Only if that's what you want … I am happy to marry in the Sept," he assured her.

"We are in the North … I am to become your Queen, I should marry you before the old Gods," she insisted.

"Only if it's what you want," he repeated and she smiled at him.

"It is," she promised him, "the Godswood is beautiful … I will be proud to make my vows before the weirwood tree"

He looked at her strangely then and she wondered for a moment if she had said something wrong. Was that not what he wanted? Did he not want to marry in front of the Gods he worshipped? Panic began to rise in her then but it subsided at once as he leaned in close to her to whisper in her ear; "do you have any idea how much I want to kiss you right now?"

"That is a sinful thought your Grace," she teased him and he grinned back at her.

"Do you fancy a turn around the courtyard? It's rather stuffy in here," he said then.

"Yes … it is rather stuffy," she agreed with a raised eyebrow.

Robb pulled away slightly regretfully then and offered her his arm. She took it gladly and his heart swelled with happiness at the familiar pressure in the crook of his elbow as he led her out of the hall and away from the stares and the whispers. It would all calm down once they were wed, no one would be able to sniff at a scandal then and Robb couldn't wait. When they were outside in the fresh air he turned his head and grinned at her, seeing the glimmer of mischief in her eyes. He moved his arm then so she dropped her hand away and laced his fingers through hers at once, pulling her across the courtyard and under the awning above the shut up blacksmith's.

She let out a breathless giggle then as he pressed her up against the wall, tangling his hands in her soft hair as he bent down to capture her lips, her own hands snaking up and around his neck as their bodies pressed firmly against one another. Robb let his tongue slide into her mouth then and her own danced all too willingly with his as he pushed up even harder against her. Gods he wanted her. If it weren't for the fact that he was King he would go and rouse the Septon now and drag her to the Godswood. He could hardly wait for her, for her to be his entirely. He let his hands stroke through her hair as they continued to kiss deeply, his hands trailing down her sides and coming to rest on her waist as her own fingers clenched around the curls at the nape of his neck.

Lottie could feel his want pressing up against her even through the layers of clothing that still encased them and it sent thrills through her. She knew they couldn't give in, that she couldn't let him inside her yet but just kissing him wasn't enough. It wasn't nearly enough and so she tore her lips away from his, shoving him back slightly and grabbing at his hand before he could protest at her rejection. He was about to ask her where they were going but before he could get the words out she had dragged them into the deserted stables and her mouth was on his again, their tongues beginning their furious dance once more. Lottie slid her hand down his chest then until she could toy with the hem of his doublet, her hand sneaking under it after a moment and finding the top of his breeches.

Robb shuddered then. What was she doing? She had told him no and yet here she was unthreading his laces, he groaned out against her mouth then as her soft hand wrapped around his length. He suddenly understood what she was doing then and he pushed her blindly back towards the back of the stables as she began to work her hand up and down. Gods her touch was magical. He groaned out again as he backed her into the wall furthest from the door and shrouded in shadow. Even if someone were to come in he could order them away and they would have no idea who they had just stumbled upon. The rule with the stables was that the first man in it had it for the night – Theon had taught him that much. He had to pull his lips from Lottie's then as her firm strokes continues, coaxing him closer and closer to his release.

When he began to twitch in her hand she knew his release was coming and in the next moment he came to his end with a final groan into the skin of her neck. She could feel the wetness on her hand and he lifted his head up to look into her eyes as she wiped her hand down the wall behind her. His eyes were clouded in satisfaction as he gazed down at her, his breathing still ragged as he came down from his height. She wasn't sure what to say then, even if she should say anything. Before the silence could get awkward though his lips were on hers, kissing her softly and tenderly and she felt his knuckles brushing her stomach as he laced himself back into his breeches. For a moment she thought that that was it when he pulled away from her again but before she could make a moved to leave his hands were at her skirts, bunching the material up around her. Hitching them above her knees and then high on her thighs as his hands came to wrap around the top of them and lift her up easily, pinning her between him and the wall.

For a moment she was almost scared, scared that he would take her and even more scared that she wanted him to. Before she could say anything in protest though he had thrust his tongue back in her mouth, one of his hands on her hip keeping her steady, the other wandering up her thigh until he could touch between her legs. She arched her back into him as his thumb brushed down her and he groaned into her mouth again when he felt how soaked she was for him. He let his thumb continue to tease at that perfect little bud as he slid two of his fingers into her waiting warmth. It was her turn to moan out then and she was almost ashamed at how wet she was for him. She had never felt anything like this and as he began to slide his thick, rough fingers in and out of her and she had to tear her lips from his as his motions had her breathless.

He let his teeth graze down her neck then as she moaned desperately in his ear, her hips rocking against him as he continued his slow pace, his thumb still slowly circling her most sensitive spot. He knew from her bucking hips that she wanted more from him and so he let his hand move faster inside her, his thumb firmer on her bud as her rocking hips encouraged him on, her ragged breathing in his ear and the sharp cries leaving her lips as he pushed her closer and closer to the edge. Lottie's head was spinning as Robb's fingers continued to move faster and faster inside her, her hips barely able to match his pace as his thumb pressed down even more firmly before circling over and over. The pressure was too much. The pleasure was too much and in the next instant her body exploded. She was shaking as Robb's hand finally stilled, his fingers sliding carefully from her warmth, his hand coming to rest on her trembling thigh.

"Are you alright?" he breathed, leaning his forehead against hers.

"What in the name of the Gods did you just do to me?" she asked him, her breathing ragged.

"Did you not like it?" he teased her, squeezing her thigh lightly.

"I think you know I did," she panted out and he couldn't help but smirk. Yes he'd known, he'd felt her clench so tightly around his fingers and he couldn't wait for the wedding night when he could truly be inside her and make her come around his length.

"I suppose we know how to relieve the tension now," he commented and she let out a breathless giggle as he stepped back so she could place her feet back on the floor.

"We certainly do," she agreed, following him to the door of the stables and placing her hand to her head to make sure her hair was in place while he checked that the courtyard was still deserted.

He reached back for her hand when he was satisfied that no one was around and she took it gladly, lacing her fingers through his as he led her across the courtyard to the entrance to the west wing. Robb pulled her around and kissed her forehead once they were outside her door and she sighed in satisfaction.

"I cannot wait until I no longer have to part with you at night," he murmured against her skin.

"Soon Robb," she breathed back, "so very soon."

* * *

**A/N: **Expect another chapter early next week.

:)


	14. XIV

**A/N: **Newey, newey, newness for you lovely people.

Hope you enjoy.

:)

* * *

**XIV**

* * *

Two days.

Lottie woke with that thought and a smile spread across her face so wide she thought it would crack. Two days and she would be married. She would be Robb's wife. Lottie Stark. Charlotte Stark; Queen in the North. That was the only thing she was unsure of – being Queen.

"_Do you have any sense at all of responsibility Charlotte?!"_

Robb would help her. Robb wouldn't mind if she was unsure at first. He would hold the bulk of responsibilities anyway, it was her duty to keep him happy and bear him an heir. She threw the covers off herself then, another thing she was unsure of; being pregnant again. Giving birth to another child. Holding another child in her arms. Nursing another child. Praying every second she got that another child wouldn't be snatched away from her. She wanted another baby she truly did. She wanted to give Robb a strong legacy that he could be proud of, strong sons and daughters that he would cherish as much as she would. But the thought was terrifying. She didn't know if she would be able to survive losing another piece of herself.

She shook her head then to clear it of unwelcome thoughts and padded slowly to the dresser to pick out something to wear, something simple would do. Enough unwanted attention was being showered on her at the moment without her drawing even more. The whispers seemed to grow louder the closer the wedding came and she knew damn well that they weren't favourable. Robb could reassure her all he wanted but she knew that more people he was willing to admit agreed with his mother that the wedding was a bad idea. He shrugged off the whispers better than she did, he didn't feel the rising sense of paranoia every time someone's eyes lingered just a little too long. She pulled her hair back from her face then and pinned it securely to the back of her head before gathering her furs up around her and heading out of her room. She couldn't face breakfast, instead deciding that she would go out to the tiltyard and take her frustrations out on the archery boards.

* * *

Robb looked up as more people trickled into the dining hall for breakfast. There was still no sign of Lottie and he sighed slightly. Perhaps she had been caught up with plans for the wedding again. It felt as though he had barely seen her over the last week and he didn't like it one bit. Still, he thought with a smile, in two days she would be his. They would be married and all the stresses of planning their wedding would all be forgotten when they said their vows before the heart tree. He noticed Sansa coming in then and he smiled his greeting to her which she returned before coming to sit herself down. He waited until she had pulled her food onto her plate and poured herself a glass of water before he spoke to her.

"Have you seen Lottie this morning?" he asked her.

"No not this morning, I went up to her rooms but she had already gone," she said and he frowned.

"Oh," he said, not knowing what else to say.

"Likely she is with the seamstress again, her dress needs final adjustments," Sansa told him.

"Aye, most like," he agreed with a smile.

"Are you excited?" she asked him then and his smile widened.

"I am," he nodded, "I wasn't sure how I would feel when it got so close but I truly cannot wait to marry her"

"I'm so pleased for you, for both of you … you have both been through so much," she told him.

"Thank you," he said in return, touched by her words.

Truly Sansa did not know the half of it, none of them did. It may be common knowledge that Lottie was a widow but no one knew that she had lost her boy. Robb imagined it must be playing on her mind, he knew she was apprehensive about having more children even though she had never said anything. He wished there was some way for him to be able to promise her that any child they had would be safe but he couldn't. He couldn't promise her that they would never lose a child no matter how much he wanted to. All he could do was be there for her through everything – whether it be good or bad. He would never let her suffer alone again.

"Have you spoken to mother?" Sansa asked him then, snapping him away from morbid thoughts.

"About what?" he responded, knowing he wouldn't like it.

"Lottie," she said.

"I've said all I have to, I can hardly force her to give me her blessing," he sighed.

"But you want her to," she said knowingly.

"Of course I do … she's my mother, but what more can I do Sansa?" he demanded.

"I don't know, I wish I did," she said slightly sadly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be short with you," he apologised.

"I understand," she soothed at once and he smiled at her in return.

"_I understand," she said._

"_It's not a slight, they just didn't know you were coming," Robb told her._

"_It's fine," she soothed him, running her hands over his shoulders._

"_You know I would much rather be seated with you," he told her, nudging her nose with his._

"_I know," she smiled, "and once the feasting is done you can come and claim me"_

"_I'll claim you right now," he almost growled at her, catching her lower lip between his teeth. _

He shook his head then before he remembered too much. The last thing he needed two days before his wedding was to start thinking of Roslin like that again. His heart panged dully but it was not the ache it used to be. Lottie had soothed that, she had soothed it to such an extent that some days it felt like it didn't hurt at all.

"You know … it wouldn't hurt to try once more with mother," Sansa said tentatively then.

"I know," he huffed, "I'll talk to her later I promise."

* * *

Lottie grew bored and frustrated rather quickly of archery practice. It was dull on her own without Robb or Arya on the side-lines giving her various pieces of advice and squabbling with one another over the slightest thing. No. It was no good. She couldn't even shoot vaguely straight today anyway so there was no point. Her mind was elsewhere entirely and her stomach was starting to rumble. She lowered the bow and went to pull the arrows out of the board before returning them to the bucket they were usually crammed in. Then she wandered back over towards the armoury to replace the bow in the rack, pausing despite herself when she heard a familiar voice floating out of the door.

" … I would bet they have been fucking for months"

"Surely not?!" a female voice gasped in surprise.

"Likely he's got her with child, why else would he be marrying her?"

"I don't know," the woman responded.

"They all speak of how honourable he is, but how honourable is it to pick up a mistress before your wife is even buried?"

That did it. Lottie had enough. She pushed the door of the armoury open properly then, letting it crash against the stonework, the occupants turning round with a start. The woman flushed on seeing her but Ser Johan looked defiant and she instantly wanted to claw at his face and scream and shout and rage at him for being such a bastard. She restrained herself though, taking a deep breath as she reminded herself that she would be Queen in a few short days and she should start acting like it.

"Shouldn't you be elsewhere?!" she barked at the girl who she knew worked in the kitchens.

"Yes my Lady," the girl squeaked, dropping into a curtsey, "sorry my Lady"

"And if I catch you spreading his _filth _you will truly know my displeasure," Lottie warned her.

"Yes my Lady," she repeated before fleeing from the room.

Lottie contemplated Ser Johan then as she listened to the footsteps of the girl fade away across the courtyard. How she had ever been flattered by such a vain and hateful man she didn't know. She shook her head slightly then, her mouth tugging up into a wry smile.

"Are you not even the least bit sorry?" she questioned him.

"I am merely saying what others are thinking," he replied evenly.

"I don't know how you can dare spread such lies about your King," she snarled.

"Lies?" he snorted and she really did have to fight not to wipe the smug smile from his face.

"Yes lies," she spat, "not all men are as disgusting and dishonourable as you"

"That's not what you were saying a few weeks ago Lottie," he returned and she clenched her fists.

"Do you know what … say what you like, I don't care …" she shook her head, making to leave.

"He never told you did he?" he questioned her when she was half out the door.

She paused despite herself and took a deep breath as she considered whether or not she would turn around. Curiosity got the better of her then and she moved her eyes back to him expectantly.

"Who?" she asked, "Told me what?"

"His Grace," he almost sneered, "never told you I wanted to ask for your hand"

"What are you talking about?" she frowned at him.

"I went to him, just before he rode out to the coast. I wanted to ask his permission to ask for your hand but he refused me," he said.

"You're lying," she stated.

"Am I?" he raised his eyebrows, "Why don't you try asking your betrothed?"

"Why would you want to ask for my hand?" she countered him.

"Because I truly liked you Lottie … we could have been happy together," he said.

"You mean I could have stayed at home like a good wife while you fucked other women by the stables?" she questioned him and he blanched.

"He told you …" he almost whispered.

"He didn't need to tell me – I was the one who saw you!" she snapped at him.

He looked as though he was swallowing hard then, his face still pale as he stared at her. She gazed back evenly and she finally saw the flicker of guilt cross his features.

"I'm sorry you saw that," he finally said.

"But not sorry you did it?" she guessed.

"She was to be the last one … one last time before I settled with you," he told her and she arched a brow, "If the King hadn't denied me what would you have said?"

"I would have said no," she told him.

"Because of the King?" he questioned almost accusingly.

"No," she shook her head, "because my first husband was just like you and I would never willingly choose a man who preferred to spend his time with whores rather than with me … I had to marry Lyndon because it was my duty, but I would never have chosen to put myself through that"

"I could have been faithful to you," he said softly.

"You could have tried," she agreed, "but I don't think either of us believe you would have succeeded"

Johan said nothing for a moment, he simply looked at her and Lottie wondered what he was thinking as she gazed back at him, keeping her eyes firmly on his. She didn't want to be the first one to look away, she needed him to see that she meant it. She needed him to know that she had not been carrying on with Robb for months. She had to make him stop spreading such vile rumours. For so long she and Robb had merely been friends, they had helped one another through the darkest of times and now they had finally stepped out into the light together. She needed to make Johan understand that, she didn't want Robb's honour tainted, his name whispered about so viciously with her own.

"You have to stop what you're doing … saying such cruel and untrue things just because your pride is hurt. You will pick yourself up from this, you will move on to the next pretty woman that turns your head but Robb is the King, speaking about him in such a way is damaging. You know he is honourable and you know damn well that I have not been his mistress. We are to be married, I am to be your Queen and you … you need to stop this now," she told him, her eyes still on his.

"Do you love him?" he asked her simply then and she swallowed hard at the bluntness of the question.

"I don't know," she said honestly, "but I know I will … if I don't already"

"I'm sorry," he finally said after contemplating her for the longest time.

"Will you put a stop to these rumours?" she asked him.

"Ramblings of a bitter drunk man is all," he said jovially, "they will be forgotten soon enough"

"Thank you," she said, turning to leave again.

"Good luck," he said and she paused again at the door, turning to bestow a smile on him before nodding slightly and stepping back outside.

* * *

Catelyn was brooding in her chambers again, she had barely left them for the last week. Everywhere she had tried to go was overrun with people preparing for the damn wedding and she couldn't stand the constant reminder that her son would soon belong to a woman that she deemed unsuitable and unworthy. She had heard the servant's gossip. The whispers were that her son had been bedding Lottie for months; that he was only marrying her now because she was with child. Catelyn knew it wasn't true, Robb had sworn to her that he had not bed Lottie and she believed him when she saw the conviction in his eyes. Perhaps it would be easier to understand if the rumours were true, at least then she'd know why her son was marrying the girl.

"_So you've made your choice," she said amusedly, Robb had barely stopped grinning since they had left the grand hall. _

"_Did you see her mother? She's perfect … she's just … perfect," he said wonderingly. _

"_When is the wedding to take place?" she asked him then._

"_Three weeks," he said slightly grumpily. _

"_It takes time to prepare such an occasion, this is a Royal wedding after all," she told him lightly. _

"_I would marry her tomorrow if I could," he said and she had no doubt he meant it. _

"_I did tell you that you might be surprised," she said amusedly._

"_You did," he agreed, looking at her, "but I never for a moment thought you'd be this right."_

She was pulled from her thoughts by a knock on the door and she sighed heavily. If this was the damned seamstress again trying to get her to choose fabric for the wedding she was not sure she could keep her temper. She didn't want a new dress for the damned wedding. She didn't even want to go to the damned wedding. She didn't want there to even _be _a damned wedding. When she wrenched open the door she faltered. It wasn't the seamstress. It was Robb.

"I wasn't expecting you," she said, stepping aside, "I thought you would be busy"

"Everything's in hand," he said easily.

"Good," she lied and she knew he knew but he said nothing as he settled down into a chair.

"This is happening mother," he told her quietly as she sat down opposite him.

"I am well aware of that, I can barely move without hearing the word 'wedding'," she said harshly.

"Is that why you're shut up here?" he asked her knowingly.

"Why her Robb?" she returned, ignoring his question and he sighed heavily.

"She makes me happy," he told her.

"When you were a child ginger cake made you happy," she said.

"It still does," he said a smile twitching at his lips that she couldn't help but return.

"Robb …" she said warningly.

"She is the only woman I can see mother," he told her, "I mean _really_ see"

"Have you even looked?" she persisted.

"You don't understand," he shook his head, "I don't need to look … she's right here"

"I had planned on trying to talk you out of it again," she said.

"I hope you know you will be wasting your own time and mine," he replied.

"Yes," she nodded, "I can't pretend to be happy … or to like her …"

"Can you not just try?" he asked her almost impatiently.

"_But,_" she stressed, "I will say no more against it … this is your decision and you've made it"

"Thank you," he sighed out in sheer relief.

* * *

Lottie wandered aimlessly around the grounds of Winterfell, her stomach still growling in hunger but she ignored it. She wasn't sure if she wanted to enter the keep, if she went in there she might bump into Robb and she wasn't sure if she wanted to see him right now. As irrational as it was she was irritated with him – angry even – for denying Ser Johan permission to ask for her hand and then to not even tell her about it. She would have declined his offer but that was not the point. Robb should have told her. They didn't have secrets. They told one another everything, especially something as important as that. Honesty; that was what she thought was between them, but now she was questioning it and the longer she walked the more lost she felt.

Eventually she found herself in the Godswood and she blinked slowly at the sight of the heart tree. In two days she would stand before it with Robb and they would look into one another's eyes and say the words that bound their souls for life. She knelt before it then, trying her hardest to keep her mind away from everything that had led her on this path to the North, on this path to becoming Queen in the North. The people must think her blessed indeed, to be able to move up here and capture the heart of the bereaved King. _If only they knew,_ she thought bitterly as she knelt there.

_He gurgled happily as she lightly tickled her fingers on his soft belly, he always sounded so happy when he was clean and dry and full of milk. When he was like this she just liked to wonder at him as she was now, barely hearing the door of the room opening as her attention was all on him. _

"_And how are we today?"_

_She looked up and smiled. It was Lyndon and he had not arrived empty handed, he had a tray of ginger cakes – her favourite – she didn't even know how he knew that but the gesture touched her._

"_Most happy," she told him truthfully as Arthur let out another gurgle. _

_Lyndon set the cakes down then at her bedside and turned his attention to their son, he was still in just his towelling cloth as she had yet to swaddle him back up. He loathed having his movements restricted, much preferring to kick his little legs and wave his little arms in the air. _

"_Come here you big, strong boy," Lyndon almost cooed then as he bent down to pick him up._

_She watched him carefully, a feeling of almost wonder spreading through her. Arthur had been here four days but he had already changed her husband so much. Lyndon had him cradled to his chest, murmuring something to him about being a champion knight as he paced up and down the room. Her own heart swelled as she watched. Perhaps this was it. Perhaps Arthur was the very thing she and Lyndon needed. Perhaps he would help love grow between them. _

Before she could stop herself she was sobbing, on her knees and crying her heart out before Gods that were strangers to her. The memory was so sweet but it hurt so much that her darling boy was gone. Her tiny baby that she had loved so much, that she had held so much hope for, was gone. Gods it hurt. It hurt so much in that moment that she wondered that the pain didn't kill her. She choked on another sob then, clenching her fists together as she could still almost feel the softness of his skin under her touch.

"I want him back!" she cried up to the beautiful white tree, the unmoving face staring back at her, "I want him in my arms! I want him safe! Was I not good enough, did I not deserve him …?"

A fresh wave of tears came over her then before she could carry on, she didn't even know what else she could possibly scream. Nothing she shouted up to the heavens would deliver her baby back into her arms where he belonged. Instead she closed her eyes, biting back more tears as she prayed and prayed to these strangers that her baby was with his father. That Lyndon had found him; that Lyndon had him safe and secure.

"Please …" she whispered, a final tear tracking down her cheek.

* * *

Oddly, Lottie felt at peace when she finally managed to get herself together and rise shakily back up to her feet, her steps carrying her towards the keep. Towards Robb. Oddly she felt calm, she felt as though breaking down and screaming at the skies had done her nothing but good. Her hidden torment about Arthur had subsided somewhat, she still ached for him of course she did, but she felt some acceptance now that she had never experienced before. She needed Robb now. She needed Robb to tell her the truth about Ser Johan. It was the one thing left that was troubling her and if she were to stand back in that Godswood again in two days' time and pledge her life to him then she needed him to be completely honest with her as she had always thought he had been.

"Is it true?" she demanded as soon as he opened the door and his smile fell.

"Is what true?" he asked her as she swept passed him and into his study.

"Ser Johan … did you deny him permission to ask for my hand?" she questioned him.

"Yes," he told her.

"Why didn't you tell me?!" she cried accusingly.

"Does it matter? Did you want to marry him?!" he demanded of her.

"No!" she shot at him, "But that's not the point, I thought we trusted one another!"

"We do," he said, shaking his head at how angry she was.

"Do you have any idea how foolish it made me look … that I had no clue?" she asked him.

"Why did he tell you?" he questioned then.

"It doesn't matter why!" she exclaimed, smacking her hands against his desk before turning to face him, "why didn't you?!"

"Because I was scared," he finally confessed and her anger was replaced by confusion.

"Scared?" she repeated.

"That you might consider it … that you would want him and not me," he said quietly.

"How could you think that?" she whispered.

"Because he is young and bright and not prone to sadness …" he began.

"Nor faithfulness," she snorted and he almost smiled.

"He could have given you things I cannot," he said.

"I could never have married him," she said softly, "never"

"Never?" he questioned, managing to meet her eyes again.

"Never," she promised and he slowly walked towards her, taking her hands in his.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," he whispered, leaning his forehead down to rest on hers.

"It hurt that kept something so important from me," she confessed quietly.

"I'm sorry," he repeated meaningfully.

"I know," she whispered back and he pulled back slightly, his lips pressing firmly to her forehead.

"Forgive me?" he breathed against her skin.

"Yes," she replied softly and he dropped her hands, coming to wrap his arms around her waist.

She wrapped her own around his middle and rested her head against his chest, feeling his warmth radiating onto her, the steady thud of his heart just as calming as the Godswood had been. Peaceful. That's how she felt now in his arms. Calm and relaxed and peaceful. She felt his breath atop her head then as he sighed in contentment before he let his lips press kisses across her hair. When he pulled back slightly she was irritated, wanting to crush him back to her body. He smiled slightly at her evident annoyance and placed his lips to the crease between her brows before moving them down to her lips. She kissed him back softly, it was ever so easy to move her lips with his. It was always so easy. All too soon he pulled away and she almost hissed in frustration, making his lips quirk up into another smile.

"Two days," he breathed, tucking a lock of her hair back behind her ear.

"Two too many," she replied grumpily and he chuckled.

"I cannot wait to make you my wife Lottie," he told her seriously and her heart seemed to stop.

"I cannot wait to be your wife," she told him honestly and his smile widened.

* * *

**A/N: **Thoughts lovelies?

Next one is the wedding and I should have it up towards the end of the week.

:)


	15. XV

**A/N:** IT'S THE WEDDING!

I'll just let you get on and read it!

:)

* * *

**XV**

* * *

Lottie's hands shook as she fastened her corset, her fingers fumbling with the tiny hooks as she took a deep breath to try and calm herself. She had insisted that she could get ready by herself but now she was wishing she had let Sansa help her as she had been desperate to do. The truth was, as excited as Lottie was about marrying Robb she had had no idea how she would feel when the day finally dawned. Nervous, it seemed was the answer. Nervous didn't seem quite the word to convey exactly how she was feeling though as he stomach twisted itself in knots.

"Calm down," she told herself, meeting her own eyes in the mirror, clenching her fists together to stop the shaking before moving her hands back to the corset. She would never usually where something so restrictive but her wedding dress had a wide neckline and a shift would be visible beneath it and it was just too cold to consider wearing nothing at all underneath her gown. Finally she managed to fasten the final hook and she let her eyes wander her body in the full length mirror. The underskirts she was wearing were made of the finest silks and felt ever so wonderful against her bare skin. The corset was tight but it emphasized her breasts and she couldn't help but think that Robb would approve, a blush rising in her cheeks as she thought it.

"_You should resist sinful thoughts Charlotte, leave such wantonness to men."_

"Not today mother," she murmured to herself as she played with her hair, wondering how best to wear it. Practically speaking she did not want to do anything fussy that would involve trying to dig pin after pin out of her tresses later in the evening. In the end she picked up a large silver clasp that was set with sapphires and gathered up half her hair before pinning it to the back of her head. The rest she brushed through until it shone, tossing it back over her shoulders and smiling slightly in the mirror. Just the dress left.

She crossed to the dresser and carefully removed it, it was beautiful, made of crushed grey-blue silk which shimmered slightly in the light. The seamstress had thoughtfully lined it with a heavier linen material so she would not freeze when she walked out into the Godswood. She would have her furs but it was still bitterly cold now. The snows had yet to come but all the old folk of Winterfell were certain that it would not be long now. Lottie hoped they would hold off a bit longer, she wasn't quite ready for winter, knowing that when it came they would likely be stuck at Winterfell for years. Not that that would be such a bad thing with Robb for company she thought sinfully, giggling slightly when she thought of what her mother would say to that. Lottie pulled her arms into her dress then and wrapped it securely around her, the neckline almost slipping off her shoulders, showing just enough skin that her mother would have branded her a harlot. Again she giggled slightly as she tied the ties tightly – perhaps she was going mad.

Or perhaps she was just giddy because so very soon she would journey out to the Godswood and say her vows, making her Robb's forever. Gods she could not wait. She felt like a little girl on her name day just waiting to open her gifts.

* * *

Robb was calm as he buttoned up his doublet. He was not dressed in his usual black leather but thick grey cotton and a white undershirt. His house colours. He looked at his reflection in the mirror and smiled slightly as he imagined Lottie doing the same on the other side of the keep. No more dressing apart. No more sleeping apart. No more being alone at night when all they wanted was to be in one another's arms. Not after today. Not after they stood before the weirwood and exchanged their vows. His smile widened then. If any doubts were to come he imagined they would have crept up on him now but his mind and his heart were still fully set on Lottie. He could hardly wait for her. He would have to though, at least for a little while longer.

He turned from the mirror then and poured himself a glass of wine, taking a sip before pulling his boots on and tying them securely, striding to the dresser when he had done so to pull out the black furs he would be wearing. The air was getting colder now, winter provisions would soon be on the way to Winterfell. Still, now wasn't the time to dwell on that, in a few hours he would be getting married. Married to Lottie. He smiled again as he thought of her, as he remembered the feel of her in his arms, the taste of her in his mouth. Gods he could not wait to have her entirely, to possess her ultimately and never let her go.

The slight twinge of guilt hit him then as he remembered thinking the same about Roslin on the morning of their union. _This is different,_ he told himself firmly, _Lottie's different, hells, I am different now. _It was true. He was different and so was she. This wasn't the same, it could never be the same and he didn't want it to be. That didn't mean he couldn't be happy though, that he couldn't take pleasure from his wife and her from him. They didn't have to be miserable anymore, they could be happy and move on together. Memories would always haunt both of them he knew that well enough but at least they would always have one another's embrace to soothe them away.

Without thinking he crossed to the table in the corner of the room and thumbed at the letter that Walder Frey had sent back to him. It had been far more reassuring than he had expected it to be, but then, he himself had had to pick himself up from the death of several wives and move on to the next one. Robb didn't know how he could do it so easily but then he supposed that perhaps Walder had never loved a woman the way he had loved Roslin. Walder had been married at least eight times, probably more and Robb shuddered at the thought. Even taking a second wife seemed like one to many and he swore to himself as he glanced over his former good-father's words one last time that he would never lose Lottie. Not to anything. Ever.

* * *

When the Greatjon came to her Lottie opened her door with a wide smile which the old Lord returned happily. Robb had asked him to escort Lottie down to the Godswood when the time came, he was his most loyal and favoured general and Robb had assured her that he was most honoured by the request.

"Are you ready my Lady?" he asked her kindly.

"Almost my Lord … forgive me …" she said, hurriedly gathering her furs up and around her.

"There is nothing to forgive my Lady, I'm sure the King won't mind waiting," he smiled at her.

"I think we have waited long enough," Lottie said honestly and his smile widened.

"Then take my arm my Lady and we shall wait no longer," he said and she beamed as she did as he bid her and placed her hand in the crook of his elbow.

They walked slowly and carefully down the steps of the tower, Lottie intensely paranoid that she might trip over the hem of her dress. It was such an irrational though, the skirts were no longer than the ones she wore on a normal day to day basis. Then again, she thought with a jolt, her hand tightening around the Greatjon's arm, this was not a normal day.

When they stepped out of the west wing she was overwhelmed by the sheer number of people who had come out to watch her make her way to the Godswood. There were guards in place to keep them in order as a loud cheer went up as she began to walk across the courtyard. She was utterly taken aback by the reception, unable to believe how positive the reaction of the crowd was as wreaths and bouquets of flowers were thrown at her feet. Somehow, through her disbelief she managed to smile back at the cheering crowds, her heart pounding as their voices grew fainter and fainter the closer she got to the Godswood.

She looked up at the Greatjon as they paused just before the entrance to the Godswood and he looked down at her with a kindly look in his eye. After a few deep steadying breaths she managed to nod for him and they set off again as one. Lottie's heart almost stopped as she rounded the corner. The Godswood was full of people but she saw no one but Robb stood waiting on the opposite side of the pool in front of the heart tree. She barely heard the murmurings as she passed by the guests, not caring if they were wishing her good or ill. All she cared about was him and how his eyes didn't move from hers as the Greatjon walked her slowly around the pool until they were stood opposite him.

The Greatjon gently took her hand from the crook of his elbow then and placed it in the one that Robb had outstretched to receive her. They simply gazed at one another then while the Greatjon shifted back round to take his place in the crowd. There was no Septon here to guide them through their vows, he was of course present so he could confirm the marriage had taken place, but it was down to Robb and Lottie now to say the words they had both been furiously memorizing. He took her other hand then and squeezed hers lightly to which she inclined her head a fraction. At their silent, agreed upon signal they both began to speak in unison, their voices blending into one perfect harmony.

"I stand here before this weirwood tree in sight of the old Gods and all these souls here present as I bind myself forever to you. I swear to be your strength and your guidance. Everything I have to give is yours. Your light is my light. Your darkness is my darkness. I am yours until my last breath leaves me. Nothing but the Gods will part us. This I swear for now and for always. My promise now sealed with this kiss."

As one they leant into one another and brushed their lips so gently with the others. Right now in the Godswood it was chaste but both of them could feel that once they were away from prying eyes that it would be anything but. The thought sent thrills through Robb as he pulled away and smiled down on his new wife, seeing her beaming back up at him. Finally, they were one.

* * *

"May I have this dance my Queen?"

Lottie looked up at the question and beamed widely at Rickon as he stood in front of her with his hand outstretched in front of him. She didn't have to turn her head to know that Robb was grinning beside her. She raised her eyebrows at Rickon then and looked towards her new husband.

"If my husband allows me," she said teasingly.

"I think I can spare my wife for a few moments," he returned in a tone that matched her own.

"Then in that case my little Lord I would be delighted," she smiled widely at Rickon then, rising up from her seat and sweeping down from the high table.

She took Rickon's hand in hers then and allowed him to lead her into the middle of the room where many of the people were already dancing now that the feasting was done. Rickon was not quite the skilled dancer that Robb was but she managed to avoid his clumsy feet for the most part, only being stood on a few times. They spun in a circle as the dance came to a close and Lottie noticed how dark it had fallen outside, knowing that the time would soon come for the bedding. Her stomach clenched nervously then. She knew it was not going to be a traditional bedding ceremony, there was no need for one seeing as she was no longer a maid. She and Robb would just slip quietly from the hall whenever they chose and from the looks Robb had been bestowing on her she just knew that it would not be long and the thought sent both a thrill and a panic through her.

"Thank you my Queen," Rickon bowed to her when the song came to an end.

"It was my pleasure," she beamed at him, "you know … there is a little Lady over there who looks as though she could use a dance partner as skilled as you"

"You think she would dance with me?" Rickon asked, a slight blush on his cheeks.

"I think she would be delighted," she told him and he grinned.

She watched him approach the young girl with a faint smile on her face before she glanced up towards the top table and saw Robb caught up in conversation with Arya. After a moment of watching him she turned and made her way towards the doors, the guards bowing low to her when she walked through them and murmuring 'your Grace'. She shuddered slightly as she walked towards the main doors, she was no longer wearing her furs but she needed a moment and the only place she would get one was outside in the cold. There was not a cloud in the sky as she looked up into the piercing darkness, the moon and the stars twinkling down on her as she looked up shivering towards the heavens.

"Lottie?" she didn't look around, she should have known he would notice her absence at once.

"Just getting some fresh air," she told him, feeling him approach her.

"You'll freeze to death," he scolded her lightly, placing his warm hands on the exposed skin of her shoulders.

"I've only been out here a minute," she told him.

"Something's wrong," he said knowingly.

"I'm fine," she said, too quickly.

"Tell me," he said, brushing his lips across one of her shoulders.

"It's silly," she told him.

"I don't care," he whispered.

"I suppose I'm nervous about … _tonight_," she confessed.

"Nervous?" he repeated questioningly.

"Not of you," she assured him at once, "just the thought of … of becoming pregnant again"

"Oh Lottie," he breathed, his hands tightening his grip on her.

"I told you it was silly," she said.

"It's not silly," he said firmly, "I wish I could tell you everything will be alright … I truly do but we both know I can't promise you such a thing"

"No," she agreed.

"But I can promise you that no matter what I am here and that whatever happens in our marriage we will face it together," he swore to her and her eyes stung.

"Thank you," she breathed, leaning back into his warm embrace, his arms coming to wrap securely around her.

"I'm here Lottie," he promised her again.

"I think," she began, tilting her head up to look at him, "that I am ready for bed."

* * *

Robb's lips found hers as soon as they stumbled into his chambers. Their chambers he supposed they were now and the realisation sent a jolt through him as he slid his tongue into her willing mouth, his hands wandering down her sides to find the ties of her dress. His desire was swelling him already, the urge to have her that he had been resisting for weeks would soon be fulfilled and the reality of it had him tugging furiously on her ties, feeling them come undone in his hands after a moment. Her own hands were on his doublet as she found the buttons and lacings and hurriedly unfastened them, her hands coming to push it down his shoulders as his own slid her dress away where it fell heavily to the floor.

Lottie could feel desire pooling between her thighs as Robb's kiss became more insistent. She could feel the warmth of his hands on her hips through her thin silk underskirts as she let her own circle round his back and sneak under his shirt, feeling the hard planes of his back under her touch. He groaned into her mouth then as she raked her nails lightly down his back, his hands clenching on her hips and pressing her as tightly against him as he could. She could feel his own want pressed up against her stomach and she could feel her own heighten even more, her body aching for him. Her hands came back from under his shirt then and she nimbly worked at unfastening the buttons, his hands moving away from her hips for a moment then so he could shrug it away.

Their kiss broke then and they both just gazed at one another, seeing the lust and desire mirrored in one another's eyes as Lottie's hands went for his chest, smoothing them over every inch of skin that she could reach. He breathed deeply under her touch, his desire straining unbearably against his breeches now and he knew he could hold on no longer. He had to have her and he had to have her now. Her hands clenched around the tops of his arms as his own suddenly grabbed at her corset, his fingers struggling with the fiddly little clasps. He cursed under his breath then and she was about to suggest that she help him when he lost all patience and ripped it clean open. She was certain that he had no doubt ruined it but she couldn't care as his rough hands found her breasts and she couldn't help the sharp gasp that came from her, her back arching towards his touch.

Her reaction had him palming more insistently at her breasts, his hips leaning into hers and encouraging her to start walking backwards towards the bed. She did as he wanted and stepped back until the backs of her legs hit the edge and she could go no further. His hands slid down from her breasts then and trailed down her stomach until they found the top of her underskirts. For a moment she thought he would rip them away too but he found the lacings and pulled them swiftly loose, his hands going to her hips to slip the silk over them so it dropped to the floor. Her own hands found the laces of his breeches then and she heard his sharp intake of breath as she freed his length. Without warning he grabbed her hips again and picked her up easily, practically throwing her down on the bed where she lay breathless and wanting.

He pulled his boots away then and shoved his breeches down his hips, kicking them away from him as he crawled up onto the bed, making his way between her legs that she spread willingly for him. Gods how he would love to kiss every inch of her but he didn't think his body could take much more waiting. He was twitching to be inside her. Aching to join himself as one with her. She shuddered with what he knew to be desire as he let his lips enclose one of her hardened buds, his hand going to tend to the other one, coaxing a moan from her as she arched her back into him, her legs coming to wrap high around his waist. He could feel her then, ready and waiting for him and he had to suppress a groan as his teeth gently teased at her breast.

"Robb," she managed breathlessly then, "Robb please …"

He almost peaked then as she rocked her hips up to meet his, urging him to take that final step and bury himself in her warmth. He lifted his head regretfully from her breast and let one hand wander down to stroke slowly up and down her thigh as he shifted further above her, his eyes finding hers as he pushed into her, sliding easily into her want. She gasped as he filled her, her eyes not moving from his as he rolled his hips, slowly beginning to thrust in and out of her, their eyes still holding each other's. Lottie rocked her own hips up to meet his on his next thrust and he groaned out his satisfaction at her movement, his hand on her thigh encouraging it up higher on his waist. The action caused him to hit somewhere perfect and she couldn't help the soft cry that left her mouth, shifting her other thigh higher so he could go even deeper.

Robb picked up his pace the longer they went on, all of her consuming him as his hand tightened around her thigh, his other lying flat at the side of her head so he didn't crush her with his full weight. Lottie's own hands wandered up his arms to grip his shoulders as he quickened his thrusts, hitting her harder and harder each time, her breaths coming as gasps and moans as the pleasure began to consume her. He bent his head to kiss and nip at her throat then as he rocked his hips still faster, her own working hard to keep up with his pace, both of them pulling away and meeting again in perfect harmony. Robb could feel her clenching tighter around him as he scraped his teeth lightly down her neck, his fingertips digging into the smooth flesh of her thigh as he groaned out against her soft skin, knowing that they were both almost spent.

Her cries of pleasure grew louder in his ear and he clung on with everything he had, managing to thrust completely into her once more to finish her, her own end squeezing him to his and he collapsed down against her as he twitched to the end. All he could focus on then was her heavy breathing in his ear as his head lay nestled in the crook of her neck, his tight grip on her thigh loosening, her legs shifting back lower on his waist as her hands moved from his shoulders to encircle his back. He steadied his own breathing as her fingers slowly traced up and down his spine, his hand that had been laying by the side of her head moving to entangle in her soft hair the other lightly brushing her thigh.

Eventually he found the strength to lift his head and found her stormy eyes looking back at him, glazed over in satisfaction and he couldn't help but smile. Her own lips quirked up and he bent to kiss at them softly, their bodies still pressed so close together, still joined completely. When he finally managed to pull his lips from hers she smiled even more widely, those beautiful eyes blinking sleepily up at him. With regret then he finally pulled himself out of her warmth and rolled his body away from hers, reaching out his arm as he did so to encourage her to shift into his arms. She moved onto her side then and snuggled herself into the crook of his shoulder, his arm holding her tight to him, his palm on the flat of her back as hers found the spot on his chest just above his heart.

He turned his head slightly to look at her and saw her eyes struggling to stay open as she breathed evenly against him. His own eyes were heavy as he let his free hand come and lay atop the one she hand rested on his chest. She somehow managed to press herself even closer to his side at his action and a smile tugged at his lips as he blinked tiredly. No words passed between them. They had no use for words. The night had been perfect and there was no need for either of them to voice it. All they wanted was to fall asleep entwined with one another and savour their blissful union.

* * *

**A/N: **I hope you liked their vows. I don't know what they'd say in the Godswood so I made it up!

Anyway, hope you all liked it and I'll get another up ASAP.

:)


	16. XVI

**A/N: **Fair warning, I was deprived of writing smut for a while with this story so I might be making up for it with this chapter!

Hope you enjoy!

:)

* * *

**XVI**

* * *

When Lottie stirred awake with a gasp for a second she was confused but then she could feel Robb's tongue between her legs coaxing her body awake. She was awake then, she was awake and trembling as he drove pleasure through her, managing to make her feel sensations she had never experienced before, her hips rocking up involuntarily as his tongue pressed firmly against _that _part of her that he seemed so skilled at manipulating. His hands came to the tops of her thighs in response to pin her down as he did it again, her hips trying to rock of their own accord but it was impossible with him holding her down.

She moaned out then as he continued his delicious assault on her body, her hands gripping tightly in the tangled sheets and furs of the bed. Her moan had him smiling against her as he let his tongue explore every part of her it could reach, savouring the taste of her as she moaned even more wantonly, her hips desperately trying to shift upwards; his grip on her thighs increasing to keep her still. It wouldn't be long, she was ready to fall and one last moment of attention on that perfect spot finished her. He savoured her final moan of pleasure and he savoured the taste of her before he began trailing kisses all the way up her body, his lips lingering at her breasts before continuing up over her collarbone and along her neck and jawline before he finally found her lips.

"Good morning wife," he said with a smirk when he finally pulled out of the kiss.

"It is a very good morning husband," she returned, her voice slightly breathy and her cheeks flushed.

"I'm glad you think so," he whispered, letting his lips trail along her neck again.

"Am I to expect that wake up every morning?" she asked him then and he smiled against her.

"That depends," he said between kisses.

"On what?" she asked him.

"On who wakes first," he growled against her skin and she gasped as he nipped it lightly.

"I see," she said, catching on to his meaning perfectly as his lips made their way back towards hers again.

"Personally," he said, biting down gently on her lower lip, "I am hoping you wake first tomorrow"

"Are you now?" she asked him teasingly, running her hand down his cheek.

He didn't answer, he merely shifted himself higher between her legs and captured her lips again, their tongues sliding perfectly with one another, entangling in a slow dance that had desire rising up in both of them in no time.

"Do we have time for this?" she asked him, pulling her lips regretfully from his.

"I don't think we will be disturbed today," he told her and she smiled widely.

"Not once?" she questioned him.

"Perhaps at mealtimes, I asked for our food to be brought to us today," he said.

"I see," she said, stroking her hand firmly through his hair.

"It's my greatest desire that my Queen does not leave this bed today," he said huskily.

"Well who am I to deny the desires of my King?" she returned and he captured her lips again.

* * *

The next morning Robb woke first again, not that he minded so very much. Lottie certainly hadn't minded, he could see that from the look in her eyes and the way her chest rose and fell at such a rapid rate as he had crawled back up her body. He let his hand lay between her breasts and kissed along her jawline and towards her lips. She kissed him back softly for a time but finally pulled away to look at him quizzically.

"Something tells me we won't be able to spend another day shut up in here," she said knowingly.

"You would be right," he sighed, stroking his hand down her cheek, "there are duties to be done"

"And what would the Lady of Winterfell do today?" she asked him and he frowned slightly in thought.

"Well," he said, "First … I suppose she would pleasure her husband," he said and she giggled.

"And then?" she questioned him.

"And then … today I suppose she would get up and break her fast before seeing the steward about ordering supplies for the month," he said.

"I can do that," she nodded.

"You don't have to … my mother can see to it if you want to relax," he told her.

"I want to do it, I'm your wife now it's my duty. It's your mother's time to relax," she said insistently.

"If you're sure," he said, kissing her cheek lightly.

"What would I do next?" she asked him.

"Whatever you pleased I suppose … some days the Maester will need you and other days the steward or the cooks may need you," he told her and she nodded.

"Sounds much the same as what I did before, is there nothing else you need?" she asked him.

"Myself and my council can take care of everything else," he assured her.

"If you're sure," she said, meeting his eyes.

"I am," he promised, bending to kiss her lips lightly again.

"I suppose I should get up and see the steward then," she said, making to shift away from him.

"Not so fast wife," he growled at her, pinning her in place, "you haven't yet pleasured your husband"

She giggled again then at the look of want in his eyes and snaked her arms up around his neck and pulled his lips to hers, her legs shifting up around him, feeling him already hard up against her. She raised her hips up then, encouraging him to slide himself into her, the feel of him inside her already so familiar and so good. Queenly duty did not seem so bad she thought to herself as he began thrusting deeply into her. In fact it was rather good.

* * *

Catelyn looked up in surprise and faint annoyance when Lottie swept into the room and sent a beaming smile towards Wyatt, the steward. Even more irritatingly he returned her gesture more than happily and swept into a bow that Catelyn thought was far lower than necessary.

"Your Grace," he greeted.

"Mister Wyatt," she returned happily, "you must forgive my tardiness"

"Not at all your Grace," he replied and she beamed again.

"Now then, where have we got to?" she said, stepping forwards and examining the papers spread out across the table.

"The list of supplies your Grace," he told her as she began scanning her eyes over the lists.

"Your Grace," Catelyn interrupted rather stiffly then, "I can see to this"

"There is no need my Lady," Lottie said politely, "it is my duty now"

"Yes of course," she said, fighting to keep her tone light, "but I have been running Winterfell for a long time, perhaps it would be easier if I did this?"

"I of course appreciate that," Lottie said, "but I cannot ask you to do _my _duties, of course I would be ever so grateful for any guidance should I need it"

"I'm happy to help," Catelyn returned, placing herself down in a chair and fixing her eyes on Lottie whose own eyes hadn't moved from the lists.

She wasn't exactly certain why the girl was studying the papers so intently, the supplies were the same as they always were every month and they shouldn't need so much scrutiny. Perhaps she should speak with Robb about who should be doing the duties. She dismissed that at once, he was newly married and more than likely to take his pretty wife's side on this. Still, if the girl made a mess of it he would have to reconsider.

"I think some changes need to be made Mister Wyatt," Lottie said then, lowering herself into a chair.

"Is that so your Grace?" he questioned her with a slight frown.

"Nothing drastic," she smiled, gesturing for him to sit with her, "but I think there are a few tweaks to be made that could save us some coin"

"Of course your Grace," he smiled back, leaning his head towards hers so he too could look over the papers as she pointed to various things.

Catelyn watched with narrowed eyes as they chattered away about what changes were to be made, it seemed Lottie thought there was too much of certain foods being ordered. Some orders she cancelled entirely and she cut down on the amount of expensive wines that were usually delivered. Grudgingly Catelyn thought she had a point on that one, their wine cellar was almost full to the brim but they had to have a good stock for winter; that was what she would have argued anyway had the girl questioned her on it. Lottie didn't question her though, nor ask her any questions as she continued on down the lists. She and Wyatt discussed many points at length and Catelyn couldn't help but be mildly impressed by how the girl always got her way without causing the steward any offence. If she was ever critical she followed it up with a compliment or two about another matter which would placate the man. She had quite the way with people, Catelyn could admit that at least.

Lunch was brought to them in the end as they had yet to finish poring over the lists. When Lottie pushed back from the table to thank the serving girls Catelyn saw how many things had been scratched out and all the new little notes in the margins. Wyatt would have to draw up new papers, these ones had been thoroughly changed. Winterfell was changing, she thought as she chewed slowly on her food, one eye on Lottie. She could only hope that it was for the better.

It was growing dark when Lottie finally declared herself satisfied and she helped the steward clear away the papers as the door opened and Robb strode in. Catelyn smiled at him at once and he returned it gladly before his eyes sought out his wife. Wyatt bowed and offered his greetings which he returned, barely sparing him a glance as his gaze found Lottie's.

"Have you been here all day?" he asked her with raised brows.

"There was much to do," she smiled, "but we have finished now"

"Sounds like you've been busy," he commented, walking closer to her.

"Just a few changes," Lottie said and Catelyn raised her eyebrows at that, she had made more than a few, a few hundred might be more accurate.

"I see," Robb said, his eyes lingering on the papers that the steward was gathering up.

"I hope you don't mind," she said, laying her hand on his arm, "I thought we were overspending unnecessarily"

"Of course I don't," he smiled at her, "whatever you think is best"

"Likely you'll not notice any change … save for in your accounts," she beamed back at him.

* * *

Robb watched Lottie as she ambled slowly along with the Maester at the beginning of the next week, they seemed to be smiling happily and he wondered what they were discussing. It could be any number of things of course. He knew what he wanted it to be but he knew that it was far too soon. Even if he had put a child in Lottie there would be no way for anyone to tell yet – not even the Maester. Likely it was something to do with the running of Winterfell which Lottie had taken so well to, much to the annoyance of his mother. She said nothing of course but she didn't need to, Robb could practically feel her seething any time they watched Lottie converse with someone about more changes. His mother was taking it personally that Lottie was changing so much. She had run Winterfell for years and it had always functioned perfectly well and she saw it as a slight that Lottie was undoing all her work. Robb tried to placate her, telling her that Lottie was only making so many changes to bolster their coffers that were so empty after the war. She was also making considerations for the coming winter – ordering less fresh food and more that could be stored away for years.

She and the Maester stopped then and shared a few more words before he turned back towards his tower and Lottie turned back towards him, sending him a breath-taking smile as she did so. He returned her smile as she walked towards him, he still couldn't believe how easy it had been for them to settle so happily into their marriage. He had expected doubts and worries from both of them at first but none had come yet and he did not feel that any would on his part. He still thought of Roslin but she was more of a beautiful memory to him now that a stabbing ache and he was thankful for it. Thankful to Lottie.

"Wife," he grinned at her as she walked up to him.

"Husband," she returned with a slight smirk.

"What have you been up to?" he asked her as he began placing the new tourney blades in the rack.

"Just speaking with the Maester about a few things," she told him.

"Anything interesting?" he asked.

"Just provisions for winter, the harvest has been good and we're not so sure we have enough storage space for it all here," she told him and he frowned slightly.

"There's plenty space down in the cellars," he said.

"Yes," she agreed, "but they need to be assessed, I have asked for some builders to come next week"

"Builders?" he repeated, his frown deepening.

"The Maester thinks some repairs may need doing to fix the damp before anything is stored down there lest the grains spoil," she explained.

"Do we have the coin for repairs?" he questioned her.

"It depends how bad the damage is," she replied, "the Maester said you would be seeing him later to look over the accounts"

"True enough," he nodded, "how will you be amusing yourself this afternoon?"

"Needlework with Sansa," she smiled.

"I will come and find you once I have seen the Maester then," he smiled back.

"I look forward to it," she said and he bent his head down to brush his lips softly with hers.

She smiled once more at him then before turning and walking back towards the keep. He watched her progress with a small smile playing on his own lips. Gods he was lucky to have found her. He thought of what he would be like if he hadn't, no doubt still sucked down into the darkness that she had pulled him from. The darkness that still threatened him some days. She kept it at bay though, his beautiful Lottie who made his heart pound.

* * *

Early evening found Lottie and Sansa chattering happily, their needlework abandoned on their laps as Sansa filled her good-sister in on the latest gossip around Winterfell. Lottie didn't know how Sansa knew such illicit information but she didn't question her as she told her about the merchant's daughter who was rumoured to be pregnant by the stable boy.

"I thought the stable boy was sweet on the seamstress' assistant?" Lottie said.

"No, that's the cook's boy," Sansa corrected her.

"Oh," Lottie breathed in understanding.

"They say he will marry her as he is terrified of her father," Sansa giggled then.

"With good reason," she grinned, "the man is even bigger than Robb, have you seen him swing a mace in the tiltyard?"

"Terrifying indeed," Sansa agreed.

"Well I hope they will be happy," Lottie said.

"Yes," Sansa nodded.

"I feel rather guilty listening to such gossip when I myself was the subject of it not so long ago," Lottie confessed then.

"Yes but they were vicious lies … this tale is all true," Sansa assured her.

"I suppose," Lottie smiled slightly.

Before Sansa could say anything else to reassure Lottie the door to the room opened and Catelyn slipped inside. She gave her greetings; the one directed towards Lottie a little stiff, before settling herself down in the chair next to Sansa and opening up a book. Lottie and Sansa returned to their needlework then and the three women continued their own activities in a silence which was not quite as uncomfortable as it could have been. It wasn't until the sun was dipping low in the sky that their attention was roused by the door opening again, this time in was Robb who had arrived and all three of them looked up to bestow a smile on him.

"I've just finished seeing the Maester about the accounts," he stated then.

"Is something wrong?" Catelyn asked him, not quite able to pick up on his tone or mood.

"Wrong?" he repeated.

"Robb?" Lottie spoke up then with a frown on her face.

"I don't know how you did it," he said, turning to her then and shaking his head.

"I …" she started.

"Our coffers are almost as they were before the war," he said wonderingly and Catelyn stared.

"That's good isn't it?" Sansa questioned him.

"Good?" Robb repeated, "It's wonderful, and it's all thanks to Lottie"

"Oh," Lottie flushed slightly, "really it was nothing"

"It's not nothing," Robb argued, stepping closer and holding his hand out to her, "the Gods have seen fit to bless me with a clever wife indeed"

"Robb …" she scolded quietly, the blush rising higher now as she took his hand.

"Excuse us mother, Sansa," Robb said then, pulling her up to her feet.

"Of course," Sansa smiled widely.

"See you at dinner," Catelyn added, her own smile rather thinner.

Lottie barely managed to get her own farewells out before Robb was practically dragging her from the room. She hoped she didn't appear rude, but then there was not much she could do to make Lady Stark dislike her any more so she refused to dwell on it as Robb pulled her down the hallway. They had barely made it three doors away from where his mother and sister were before he stopped them, pinning her up against the wall and ravishing her mouth before she could say anything. She responded happily to his bruising, insistent kiss, parting her lips to allow it to deepen, her stomach clenching and that familiar warmth trickling between her thighs. If Robb didn't stop soon she would end up letting him have her here in the hallway and that was the last thing she wanted anyone to stumble across.

"Robb," she managed to mumble against his lips, his hips pressing further into hers in response; "we need to move Robb"

"I want you," he growled.

"You can have me," she almost moaned as he circled his hips, making her feel his arousal against her, "but not here"

"Damn it Lottie," he hissed, pulling away and dragging her towards the nearest door.

The room seemed to be used for storage, there were all sorts of things piled up in the room, shelves lined the walls and Lottie barely had a moment to take in anything more than a lot of old children's toys and several stacks of chairs before Robb's lips were on her again. He pushed her back into the room blindly as they continued their furious kiss, bumping into various things as they did so. Regretfully he pulled away from the kiss before he pushed her into something that could hurt her and eyed an old desk that was lurking in the corner. Before Lottie could say a word he had swept the odds and ends that were settled on it away with one arm and turned to pull her to him again.

She didn't protest. She didn't want to protest as his hands furiously tugged up her skirts, his lips on hers again as his touch found her bare thighs, wrapping around them and picking her up to set her down atop the desk. Her own hands fumbled at his laces then and he groaned in satisfaction into her mouth as she freed him from his breeches, her soft touch guiding him forwards. He didn't need her encouragement, shifting her slightly so he could slide into her. At his movement she tore her lips from his, a small cry of pleasure leaving them that seemed to arouse him even more. His thrusts were sharp and deep, his hands pushing her back slightly, her own coming to rest on the desk behind her so she could brace herself. Robb wrapped his hands back around her thighs then to lift her slightly so he could give her all of him.

Lottie gasped as he hit that perfect part of her, her mouth somehow forming words, moaning at him to reach that part again. He didn't disappoint her and she cried out loudly the second time. Robb had to supress a grin as he did it again, groaning out his own pleasure at how good she felt with her warmth completely wrapped around him. Somehow she seemed to shift her legs up even higher around him, her back arching even further back and he almost lost himself at how good she felt. He was hitting that spot every time now and Lottie was almost done, the knots in her stomach almost unbearably tight. They would undo soon she knew that. Almost as she thought that he hit her once more and she saw lights pop behind her eyes, her lips somehow managing to form his name as she moaned out her final pleasure. She was barely aware of him still moving inside her as she was so consumed by her own state of bliss that seemed to seep into every pore of her being. After a moment she felt him reach his own end, she could feel the warmth of him spreading deep inside her and she couldn't help the soft moan that left her lips.

Robb's breathing was ragged as he finally found the energy to slide himself out of her, his hands still shaking slightly from his climax as he moved them from her thighs to lace himself back up. Lottie shifted herself back up so she was seated properly on the desk then, her own hands pulling down her skirts before moving to check that her hair was still in place. They caught one another's eye then and smiled like naughty children who had been caught stealing sweet cakes from the kitchen. Robb moved closer then and cupped her face in his hands, kissing her gently this time, her own hands coming to rest on his forearms as she moved her lips slowly with his. Eventually he pulled away, one hand stroking tenderly down her cheek before he smiled at her again.

"We'll be late for dinner," he finally said.

"I wonder why?" she asked him with a quirk of her lips and a raised brow.

"I blame my irresistible wife," he almost growled and she giggled.

"Really? Well I blame my lustful husband," she countered and he smirked at her as she hopped down off the desk, her hands smoothing out her skirts.

* * *

Catelyn tried not to feel irritated as Lottie fed small bites of food to Robb at dinner, she seemed to be getting him to try some of the new foods she had had ordered and he was more than willing to let her. She knew she should be glad that the girl seemingly doted on her son, her eyes never wandering far from him. Robb was happy. She could admit that much. Her eyes slid to them again then as Robb leaned in to whisper something in his wife's ear that had her giggling almost uncontrollably. Gods Catelyn hoped that their happiness would last.

Both of them had demons, so far neither of them had raised their ugly heads but she couldn't help but worry that they would. Robb would have days when Roslin would consume him, she could only hope that Lottie would be understanding of them and not start to resent him for it. As much as she disapproved of the girl, Catelyn had to admit that before they were married she seemed well able to manage Robb's grief. She hoped that becoming his wife would not change that and that she would still understand Robb's moments of sadness.

She didn't know what Lottie's relationship with her own late spouse had been, she knew very little of the woman come to think of it. She had seen the sadness that dwelled behind her eyes though. Recently it had been eclipsed by the euphoria of newly-wedded bliss but Catelyn knew that this period didn't last forever. The sadness would creep back into Lottie just as sure as it would creep back into Robb. Gods she hoped that this marriage had not been one big mistake. As much as she had been against it, it was done now and she wanted more than anything for her son to be happy in it. He was for now, she just hoped that it could last.

* * *

**A/N: **Thoughts?


	17. XVII

**A/N:** New chapter for you lovely people!

**Guest:** Cat will find out about Arthur but not just yet!

Hope you all enjoy this one - let me know!

:)

* * *

**XVII**

* * *

"Yes!" Arya cheered and Lottie grinned.

She had finally hit dead centre on the archery board and she barely had a second to revel in her own sense of achievement before Arya flew at her. Lottie was surprised at the sudden embrace, Arya wasn't usually a girl to bestow spontaneous displays of affection. She held her back as best she could with the bow still in her hand before the younger girl tore away from her and grinned widely.

"You did it! You finally did it!"

"Yes," Lottie agreed, laughing slightly as she looked back at the board, "I did it"

"I knew you would," Arya said certainly then and Lottie raised a brow.

"Really?" she questioned with a raised brow, "it was only two days ago you said it would never happen"

"Well obviously I didn't mean that," Arya said with a nonchalant wave of her hand.

"Obviously," Lottie repeated with a roll of her eyes and Arya grinned again.

Regretfully Lottie moved back towards the armoury then to place the bow back in the rack and she heard Arya's disgruntled voice asking her why she was leaving. She sighed heavily at the question, she would love to stay out in the tiltyard with Arya but she had much too much to be getting on with. The builders were due at any time and she needed to look presentable at least.

"I have other duties to attend to," Lottie told her as she turned back to face her.

"Can't you leave it to someone else?" Arya whined.

"No I can't, things need to be prepared for winter," Lottie smiled.

"Can't Queen's … I don't know … delegate?" she suggested.

"I delegate plenty, but I promised Robb I would see to this personally," Lottie said.

"Fine," Arya huffed, "will you come back out later?"

"It depends how long it takes," Lottie shrugged.

"Being a wife sounds like no fun at all," Arya muttered then and Lottie smirked.

"You'd be surprised," she said then, thinking of what Robb had done to her the night before.

Arya merely snorted and Lottie sighed, deciding to give up. She had to go anyway. Lottie bid Arya farewell and her good-sister returned it, albeit slightly half-heartedly. Truly Lottie did wish she could spend more time with her, spend more time with all of Robb's siblings, but her time was precious and she barely had a moment to herself between the demands of her duty and the demands of her husband. Not that she minded Robb's demands so much, she was more than happy to oblige him. Still, she couldn't think of him now, she had to meet with the Maester and the builders so they could assess whether the cellars were fit for winter storage or not.

* * *

Robb idly sifted through his letters, his eyes barely focusing on the words, his mind thoroughly elsewhere as he tried to concentrate. His mother was helping him with those of lesser importance and she worked quietly on the other side of the room. He was glad of her silence, his mind was wandering more and more to Lottie and their encounter the night before. Still he couldn't get enough of her, every night he had to have her and almost every morning. Sometimes he couldn't even last through the day without dragging her into one corner or another and having her. It was exhilarating, neither of them could help themselves and Robb was willing to bet that there would soon no longer be a darkened hallway or secluded corner where they had not had one another.

Damn it all he wanted her now.

As if in answer to his rising want there was a knock on the door and his wife entered. He took a moment to let his eyes wander her body, his mind racing with all the different reasons he could give his mother for wanting her to leave. Somehow he didn't think telling her he needed time to ravish his wife would quite cut it with her. Before he could think of an appropriate reason though Lottie was speaking.

"I've just finished with the Maester and the builders," she told him.

"And?" he asked, seeing his mother look up from her own work from the corner of his eye.

"It's not good Robb," she said and he groaned.

"How much?" he asked.

"More than we can afford," she answered him honestly.

"What's this?" Catelyn asked then before Robb could say any more.

"The cellars have damp my Lady," Lottie told her, "they cannot be used for storage, the winter supplies will spoil"

"Surely we could use some of them?" she questioned her good-daughter.

"There are some smaller rooms that could be fixed up," Lottie conceded.

"But?" Robb guessed.

"But the cost will still be high … I did have a thought though that the Maester thought credible," she continued.

"Go on," he urged her.

"The old tower," she said and Catelyn frowned.

"That is no good for stores, it is too exposed," her good-mother said.

"Not if it is fixed up," Lottie countered, "the temperature is low enough now that the stores would be preserved"

"What about the cost?" Catelyn asked.

"Far less than the cellars, it would be a dent in the accounts but you would still have more coin than you did a few months ago," Lottie said, her eyes on Robb.

He nodded slowly then. What Lottie was saying made sense. If fixing up the old tower to use as storage would work and cost less coin than patching up the damp in the cellars then it seemed like the only viable option. If the Maester truly thought it credible then he could see no reason why it should not go ahead and be done with. Catelyn however, wasn't convinced and she turned her attention back to Lottie as she saw Robb beginning to agree.

"If the cellars are damp does that not endanger the keep? Surely it's best they are fixed up, no matter what the cost?" she said.

"The damp is not so extensive that the keep is in danger of damage, it can be fixed up over a number of years to limit the dent to the coffers," Lottie answered.

"I'm not sure about this," Catelyn said, shaking her head.

"Fixing up the damp over the course of the winter is the most viable and affordable solution. It will also keep the builders in work when they will have scarce few other ways of making coin. But right now we need an answer to our storage problems and I believe the answer to be fixing up the old tower. It can be done more quickly and cost less," she said certainly.

"If there are stores in there they will be more easily looted if the small folk get desperate," Catelyn argued.

"The old tower is still within the confines of the keep, the gates are manned and extra guards can easily be posted if looters are a danger," Lottie countered.

"I don't think …" Catelyn began again.

"Enough," Robb said sharply and she cut of at once and both she and Lottie looked to him; "I agree with Lottie," he said after a moment.

Lottie could have cheered but she restrained herself, contenting herself instead with a small smile and a grateful nod to her husband. Catelyn could have screamed but she contented herself with a small frown and a piercing look for her son. Robb looked between them and sighed. He had had just about enough of this.

"Right," he began, "now that's settled … Lottie, perhaps you could go to the Maester and tell him to have the building work begin as soon as possible?"

"Of course," Lottie agreed happily and he stood from his chair to lean across the desk as peck her lips lightly before she turned to leave his study.

When the door closed behind her he turned to face his mother and she stared back evenly at him. He tried to think of the best way to phrase his next words but his mind was struggling. He was so damn sick of his mother's attitude to Lottie. Lottie was his wife and damn it all he loved her. His mind faltered then as he stumbled over that thought, his eyes widening for a moment as he came to his realisation. He pushed it to the back of his mind then, ignoring his pounding heart as he looked towards his mother again whose expression was that of concern now.

"Robb?" she asked him uncertainly.

"Can you please … please, for me, stop antagonising Lottie?" he asked her in return.

"I wasn't, I …" she began but he shook his head.

"She is my wife, I know you might not like her but like it or not she it kin," he said firmly.

"I know that," she said.

"And you know damn well that fixing up the old tower is a good idea," he continued.

"I never said it wasn't!" she protested, "I just think these things need more consideration!"

"Winter is coming mother, and it is coming fast … we don't have time for dithering," he said.

"I suppose not," she said stiffly.

"I don't expect you to like her overnight," he said softly then, "but does that mean you have to put her on edge constantly when you're in her presence?"

"No," Catelyn said quietly, "no it doesn't … I'm sorry Robb, I'll try harder I promise"

"Thank you," he said gratefully, "winter is going to be long enough without you two at one another's throats throughout it."

* * *

Lottie had the servants bring dinner up to her and Robb's rooms that night. She was utterly exhausted and in no mood for the tension that dining with Lady Stark would bring her. She was sick and tired of it. No matter what she did it was never good enough for the woman and it was slowly starting to wear Lottie down. She had known it wasn't going to be easy but Gods she had never expected it to be so hard. The only thing that stopped her losing her mind completely was how much she loved Robb. She bit her lip at that thought. The realisation had slowly dawned on her over the weeks since they had married but she had yet to voice it. She was scared to in case it scared him away. She didn't know if he felt the same, even if he was ready to feel the same. Roslin had scarred him much more deeply than Lyndon had scarred her. He was barely more than a blemish now but she knew that Robb had loved his previous wife, and that wound would take far longer to heal.

She picked at her food then, none of it was appealing to her. Vaguely she wondered if it would be naughty of her to skip right to the plate of ginger cakes that she had requested. They always made her feel better, they always had since she had been a little girl. It was one fond memory she had of her father; him bringing her the cakes and soothing her when her mother had upset her. She shook her head then to clear it as the door opened and Robb strode in.

"They said you were here," he said and she saw the worry in his eyes, "are you alright? You're not sick are you?"

"No of course not," she assured him with a smile, "I just couldn't face the noise of the hall this evening"

"Nothing to do with my mother then?" he said knowingly and she sighed.

"It's hard Robb," she confessed, "I know she disapproves of me but facing it every day is starting to wear me down"

"I'm sorry," he said softly, pressing a kiss to her forehead, "I've had a word with her, she's promised to try harder"

"Thank you," she said gratefully.

"It's nothing," he assured her, "now eat your dinner," he smiled, moving away from her to ready himself for bed.

When he was done he looked towards his wife again and saw that she had barely touched her meal. He frowned slightly and moved back towards her. She looked up at him as he appeared above her and smiled faintly. He sighed heavily then, he hated seeing her looking so down.

"Are you not hungry?" he asked.

"I just want the ginger cakes," she confessed with a small smile and he grinned at her.

"Come on," he jerked his head upwards to encourage her to stand before picking up the plate of cakes and walking towards the bed.

She followed him obediently, shrugging off her robe and climbing into bed with him. When she was snuggled down against him he leant his free arm over to the bedside table and picked one of the cakes from the plate before moving it to her mouth. She took a grateful bite and sighed in satisfaction at the familiar, comforting taste. Robb smiled as she relaxed against him, feeding her several more of the cakes before taking a few for himself. After a time she told him no more and snuggled herself further into his warm embrace. He kissed the top of her head then and her hands tightened their hold on him in response.

"Better?" he asked her softly.

"Better," she said happily, her voice laced with tiredness as she closed her eyes.

* * *

Things were less tense at breakfast, Catelyn greeted Lottie easily enough and Lottie returned it evenly. It was tentative but Robb allowed himself a breath of relief as he sat and began pulling food onto his own plate. Lottie still didn't seem to be eating much and he frowned slightly as she picked at her breakfast. He said nothing though, unwilling to bring anything up in front of others. If Lottie was upset about something then he knew she would talk to him about it in her own time. They had promised one another no secrets. He thought perhaps she was thinking of her son, or perhaps her previous husband. As he watched her carefully from the corner of his eye he searched in his mind for any reason that the date would be significant. He couldn't think of one and eventually he gave up thinking and turned his attention to his own food.

"Lottie?" he asked her quietly after a time to rouse her attentions.

"Yes?" she turned to smile at him but he saw that it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"It's Bran's name day soon, I wondered if you could organise something?" he suggested, thinking that perhaps planning such a happy event would cheer her up.

Lottie practically saw Catelyn tense at Robb's other side at his suggestion and she bit on her lip gently. Perhaps this was the opportunity she had been waiting for to finally get her good-mother to accept her as Robb's wife?

"That's a wonderful idea," she started, "but I wouldn't have the first idea on which foods are his favourites or what kind of entertainment he would like. Perhaps you would prefer to organise something for him Lady Stark?"

Catelyn stared at her in surprise and she saw the slightly apprehensive but hopeful look in the eyes of the younger woman and she finally felt a genuine smile tug up at the corner of her lips. Lottie returned her smile, feeling relief flooding through her as she locked eyes with her good-mother, for once not seeing impassiveness staring back at her.

"I would love to," Catelyn said meaningfully.

"Well that is settled then," Lottie said almost gratefully, "now you must excuse me, I have to go and speak with the Maester"

"Are you alright?" Robb asked her as she rose up from her chair.

"Of course," she assured him at once, "I just want to know how the repairs are progressing"

"I'll walk out with you," Robb said, getting to his own feet, "I promised I would join Arya and Rickon in the tiltyard"

Lottie took his arm as they stepped down from the high table and began walking towards the door. He glanced at her sideways again and noted her smooth expression. Perhaps he had been worrying for nothing. After her exchange with his mother Lottie seemed to be much more relaxed and he was glad of it.

"That was lovely," he murmured to her as they left the hall, "what you did for my mother"

"It makes more sense for her to organise it," she said dismissively.

"It was thoughtful of you," he praised, "I know damn well you know exactly what he would have liked"

"She knows better, she's his mother," she told him.

"Thank you," he said meaningfully.

"I just want things to get better," she said honestly, looking up at him.

"Things are going to be just fine," he promised her and she smiled, determining to believe him.

* * *

Rickon was getting good, almost too good, Robb noted as he moved his sword to meet that of his little brothers. Arya stood to the side and watched them with an almost awestruck expression on her face, she had no idea that Rickon could swing a sword so well. When he grew taller and bigger he would be a force to be reckoned with. Eventually Robb called time on their practice and smiled widely at his youngest brother. Gods he had come on strong.

"That was good," he praised, "very good"

"Do you think that I will be as good as you one day?" Rickon asked him eagerly and he chuckled.

"I wouldn't be surprised if you ended up better," Robb told him honestly and his brother beamed.

"Then I could win tourney's?!" he exclaimed.

"If you keep practicing," Robb smiled.

"Can we go again?" Rickon asked him and he laughed again.

"Have you not had enough? I have other duties to see to you know," he teased.

"Oh," Rickon looked crestfallen but Arya came forward at once.

"Perhaps you can practice with me? I can show you what Syrio taught me," she suggested.

"Yes please!" Rickon looked instantly delighted again.

"Perfect," Robb smiled, making to move away.

"Would you stay and watch Robb? Just for a minute!" Rickon asked him pleadingly and he sighed.

"Alright," he said, "but only for a minute, I have much to do"

He retreated to the edge of the tiltyard then and watched as Rickon and Arya began to circle one another. He knew the way Arya worked a sword was a lot more subtle and delicate than the way he had been taught by his father and Ser Rodrik. Gods, it seemed like an age ago that it had been him, Jon and Theon in the tiltyard sparring with one another under watchful eyes. Thinking back on it made him think that he really ought to write to Jon, it had been a while since he had last sent word – probably before the wedding. He had invited his brother but had been unsurprised to receive a polite decline. Jon was Lord Commander now and even though the Wall was recovering its strength there was still an awful lot of work to do. Unfortunately Jon wouldn't have been able to justify spending over a week away from his post to attend a wedding. He had promised to visit when he could though and Robb had had to be content with that.

His mind wandered back to the present then when he caught sight of Lottie coming from the Maester's tower out of the corner of his eyes. He turned his attention to her then but she didn't as much as glance in his direction, her steps almost hurried as she made her way back into the keep. His brow furrowed slightly as he wondered why she was in such a rush. No doubt it was nothing, she had probably promised to spend some time with Sansa and was later than she had intended. He couldn't shake off his uneasy feeling though and so after another moment he began to make his way towards the keep. Neither Rickon nor Arya noticed him leave as they continued to clash swords. Likely they wouldn't notice for a long while as neither looked as though they would give up any time soon.

* * *

Lottie reclined back against the tub, letting the hot water wash over her as she closed her eyes, her mind still racing. _Relax_, she told herself, breathing deeply to try and coax her muscles into letting go of their tension. Absently she began to run the washcloth over her body, her mind wandering despite her best efforts towards things she would rather not remember just now.

_She ran the washcloth over the swelling of her stomach, feeling the baby move inside her as she did so. Her heart skipped as it always did when she felt the insistent movement within her. The baby was strong, the Maester told her that each time she went to him to have him listen to the heartbeat with that strange instrument of his. The baby's movements were much easier to feel now and she knew that when Lyndon returned from his trip away he would be able to feel it through her skin. He was due back soon and she imagined he would be thrilled. Ever since she had told him about being with child he had been like a different man. Of course he still entertained himself with his whores but he was so attentive to her and got her anything she desired without question. Nothing was too much, that was what he told her. Whatever she and the baby needed he would provide for her. As she thought of him the door to her room opened and she was instantly startled – who would just come without knocking?_

"_Lottie?" it was Lyndon's voice and she instantly relaxed._

"_I'm in the bath," she called back and a moment later he appeared behind the screen. _

"_I'm home," he said unnecessarily, a wide smile on his face._

"_I can see that," she said amusedly as he knelt down at the side of the tub. _

"_How is our baby?" he asked her then, his hand coming to rest on her stomach that was protruding from the water. _

"_Perfect," she smiled, "leave your hand there … you should feel it move after a time"_

"_And you?" he asked, turning to look at her, "how are you?"_

"_I'm well indeed, how was your trip?" she asked._

"_Dull," he sighed, "I am so glad to be home … back with you"_

_She was a little surprised by his words, a smile twitching at her lips as he gazed at her intently for a moment before his attention returned to her stomach. She knew at once why the look of surprise and wonderment had crossed his features. The baby had moved. He had felt it. _

"_Incredible," he murmured and she nodded her agreement. _

"_Lyndon," she said softly after a moment of just watching him, "I missed you."_

Lottie's mind was pulled away from the painfully sweet memory by the door opening and she knew at once that Robb had come. Her stomach twisted but she managed to force a smile to her face that she knew he wasn't fooled by when he peered around the screen. He frowned slightly at her then and came round properly, kneeling down by the side of the tub and making her stomach twist even more uncomfortably. Robb was looking at her with such a concerned expression on his face that it made her want to cry.

"What is it?" he asked her softly, "and don't say nothing because I know there's something"

"I just needed some time for myself," she told him, "to relax … things have been so tense"

"They're getting better though," he said insistently.

"I know," she almost whispered, "things are changing"

"Lottie …" he started with a slight frown.

"I'll be fine," she promised him.

"You would tell me if something was wrong, wouldn't you?" he asked, his eyes boring into hers.

"Robb, I …" she began but she couldn't get the words out.

"You what?" he questioned her, his hand coming to cup her cheek.

"I just think I need a good night's sleep," she said and he finally smiled, the suspicion leaving him.

"I'll have food sent up to you … don't you worry about anything but yourself for the rest of today, I want you to feel better," he said.

"I will," she promised him, the smile she bestowed real this time and he beamed back.

"I'll come back later," he said, rising back up, bending to kiss her forehead firmly before he straightened up properly.

"I can't wait," she told him and he smiled widely once more before turning and walking away.

Lottie breathed a sigh of relief when she heard the door close and leant back further in the tub so she could sink her head under the water and feel nothing for a few moments.

* * *

**A/N: **Hope you all enjoyed! Will get another one up for you at the weekend!

:)


	18. XVIII

**A/N:** New one guys! Hope you enjoy - let me know!

:)

* * *

**XVIII**

* * *

Robb scowled as he read through the letter. Just when things were going so well and he was finally settled and happy again something came along to uproot him. He didn't want to go to a tourney at Riverrun but he knew he couldn't refuse, Stannis was travelling down from the Capitol. It would look poor indeed if Robb failed to attend. Damn it all. If only the snows had already fallen he would have been able to use that as an excuse. As it was they hadn't, the skies remained clear but it was still bitingly cold and with ferocious winds often bubbling up. He sighed then and dropped his head in his hands to massage his temples.

A knock sounded at the door then and he called for his visitor to come in. It was his mother and she sent him a beaming smile as she walked in. He was glad she was so happy, she had been like this since Bran's name day had gone so well. After a few glasses of wine she had even managed to thank Lottie sincerely for allowing her to organise it. Robb's heart stabbed slightly as he thought of his wife but he pushed it aside. No doubt she would be angry with him but it was for her own good.

"Is something wrong?" Catelyn asked, noticing his expression.

"I'm going to Riverrun," he sighed heavily and she frowned.

"Why?" she questioned him.

"A tourney is being held … Stannis is going," he said moodily and she understood.

"So you have no choice," she concluded and he nodded.

"Still … it will not be for long, and perhaps Stannis will have made some progress with the High Septon," he said.

"I hope so," Catelyn said meaningfully, "for Sansa's sake … am I to come too?"

"I don't know," he sighed, "do you want to go?"

"It would be nice to see Edmure before winter arrives," she said and he nodded in defeat.

"If you're certain," he said.

"I will have to see the seamstress about some new gowns, no doubt Lottie will as well, perhaps we could go together?" she suggested tentatively.

"Lottie's not going," he said and she frowned.

"Why ever not? She's your wife … the Queen," she said.

"Exactly," he almost snapped and it was her turn to sigh heavily.

"Robb …" she started.

"I don't want to hear it," he cut her off, "she's not going … now if you'll excuse me, I need to let her know I'll be leaving in a few days"

Catelyn said nothing else as he rose up from his chair and stamped from the room. It would look bad if Robb attended the tourney without his Queen by his side but she had seen from the look on his face that he would not be swayed. Not by her anyway. She wondered how Lottie would take the news, if she would react well to being left behind at Winterfell.

* * *

Lottie smiled brightly at Robb when he came up to their rooms. She looked so beautiful as she sat in the window seat working on her needlework and he felt instantly guilty. He didn't want to go to Riverrun and leave her for several weeks but he couldn't take her with him. He just couldn't. The thought of it made him feel physically sick. He saw her smile falter then as she contemplated him and after a moment she set her needlework down and crossed to stand before him, her hands running lightly up and down the top of his arms.

"You're tense," she stated, "what is it?"

"I'm going to a tourney at Riverrun," he told her and she smiled slightly.

"Will you be entering the lists?" she asked and he shook his head.

"I don't think so," he said.

"Good," she said, squeezing his arms lightly, "I would hate to see you fight, even in a tourney"

"Lottie …" he started.

"When will we leave? I will have to make sure I'm well prepared," she interrupted.

"Lottie you're not coming," he told her then and she stared at him.

Her hands came away from his arms then and hurt filled her eyes as she gazed up at him in disbelief. He felt horrible. He wanted her hands back on him. He didn't want her looking at him the way she was now. Hurting her wasn't his intention; that was the complete opposite of what he wanted. He just wanted her where he knew she would be safe.

"Why?" she finally whispered.

"I want you to stay here," he told her.

"Why?" she asked again, her brow furrowing, "are you ashamed of me?"

"No of course I'm not!" he almost shouted at her.

"Then why?! I'm your wife, I'm supposed to be the Queen in the North and you would go to a tourney and not have me at your side!" she accused him.

"It's not that I don't want you there!" he argued back but she shook her head at him.

"I don't understand!" she said desperately, "why would you not take me?!"

"Because I love you!" he shouted at her and she stared at him, "And I will not risk losing you"

"Robb …" she started but he cut her off at once.

"I'm not risking taking you out on those roads … I won't lose you Lottie," he said firmly.

"That won't happen," she said quietly.

"You don't know that," he shot back at her, "and I'm not taking the chance"

"And what about what I want?!" she said, her anger flaring up again.

"Lottie please …" he said desperately.

"No Robb!" she started, "You can't keep me here forever like I am some kind of prisoner! I know what you're afraid of but I swear to you, I will do everything you ask of me! If you want to have a thousand guards follow my every step then I will endure it … but please Robb … you can't leave me here"

"Lottie …" he groaned but she was unwilling to give up.

"What happened to Roslin was horrible … but that doesn't mean that it will happen to me, you can't treat me like this because you're afraid … it's not fair," she said shaking her head.

"I know," he confessed after a moment, hanging his head in shame.

"I'm coming with you," she said softly then and he nodded slightly.

At his action she pressed herself close to him and wrapped her arms around his middle. His own arms crushed her tightly against him, his lips pressing firm kisses along the top of her head. Her hands tightened in the leather of his doublet then as she suddenly realised what he had said to her.

"Did you mean it?" she asked him then.

"Mean what?" he questioned softly.

"You said you loved me," she stated, pulling her head back so she could look up at him.

"I did," he said, meeting her eyes.

"Did you mean it?" she repeated.

"I did," he said again and her lips quirked up, "I love you Lottie"

"Truly?" she whispered.

"How many times do you want me to say it?" he countered in an amused tone, "I. Love. You."

"I love you too," she breathed back at him and his heart soared.

"Truly?" it was his turn to ask then and she smiled widely.

"Would you like me to say it again?" she teased him.

"I would," he grinned.

"I. Love. You."

* * *

They were halfway to Riverrun when Catelyn finally spotted an opportunity to get Lottie on her own. She had been looking out for one all week as they had stopped to rest in various inns. Robb didn't want to camp out in the open, they had been forced to for one night and he had sat up outside his and Lottie's tent with over twenty guards and not moved. Catelyn understood why he was doing what he was doing even if she was worried it was taking its toll on him. It wasn't Robb she wanted to talk to her good-daughter about though – at least not directly. She had watched the girl carefully over the last weeks and her suspicions were firmly peaked. Lottie was less able to hide her discomfort and her frequent bouts of sickness when they were on the open road. She was managing to keep it from Robb's watchful gaze but Catelyn wasn't fooled.

She looked across to make sure that Robb was still busy drinking heartily with his men in one corner of the inn before she stood up from her own table and followed on after Lottie who had slipped away up the stairs not moments before. Lottie looked surprised when she opened the door of her room to see her good-mother on the other side. She was instantly wary. She and Catelyn may have been getting on better and acting civilly towards one another but that was with company. They had yet to spend any time alone together and the thought of doing it now put Lottie on edge as she bid her good-mother come in. Catelyn did as she was told and watched as Lottie nervously moved about the room and poured her a glass of wine with shaking hands. Noticing the girl only poured water for herself fuelled Catelyn's belief that her good-daughter was pregnant.

"Why have you not told Robb you're with child?" she asked her outright then and Lottie froze.

"What?" Lottie whispered, her eyes wide as she turned to face the older woman.

"How long have you known?" Catelyn questioned her.

"I'm very tired," Lottie said, "I don't mean to be rude but …"

"Why have you not told him?" Catelyn asked her softly, her brow furrowing.

"That is my concern not yours, and I would appreciate your discretion," she said firmly.

"He has a right to know," Catelyn told her.

"That's _my _decision," Lottie said coldly, "it is still _my _body Lady Stark"

"Your Grace … I know how frightening it is, to be expecting your fist child but …" she started.

"Only it's not my first child is it?!" Lottie snapped at her and she stared.

"Lottie … I don't …" Catelyn shook her head, rising to her feet.

"I had a boy … a beautiful, strong, perfect boy for six shining days," Lottie confessed then.

"Oh Lottie …" Catelyn whispered, tears filling her eyes.

"No," Lottie said, shaking her head, her own eyes stinging, "no, you don't get to look at me like that … not you – you don't even like me!"

Her composure was slipping now and Catelyn could see her beginning to crumble and her heart and stomach clenched uncomfortably. Suddenly the sadness behind Lottie's eyes made sense. Suddenly the reason she prayed so often at the feet of the mother in the Sept became oh so clear to Catelyn and she felt immense guilt and immense pity for the girl in front of her. Lottie didn't want her pity though, not now when she was so close to losing control and Catelyn could sense it, at once closing the gap between them and pulling her good-daughter into an embrace. Lottie was so surprised at the action that she didn't even think of pulling away, instead clutching the older woman close and sobbing against her shoulder as her hands ran soothingly up and down her back. Catelyn murmured all kinds of assurances in her ear and hushed her gently as she cried in her arms.

"You know I thought I'd lost Bran and Rickon once," she told her when she began to calm down.

"That must have been awful," Lottie choked out against her shoulder.

"I wanted to tear out my own heart," she said.

"I know," Lottie whispered, she knew that pain all too well.

"But no matter how much I wanted to I couldn't give up," Catelyn said, "not when I had three other children who needed me"

"I only had Arthur," Lottie said, her voice so full of pain that Catelyn wanted to break down herself.

"But now you have this baby," she said, pushing her away slightly and resting a hand on her stomach, "and this baby needs you"

"I don't know how," Lottie confessed, "I'm not ready for this to be real … I can't be pregnant, I can't carry another child inside me, give birth to another child, nurse another child and love another child only for it to be taken away from me again!"

"You can't think that that will happen," Catelyn urged her, "there is no reason why such a thing should happen again … why you should lose this child"

"But what if I do?" she questioned her.

"Then Robb will be there … and so will I if you want me," Catelyn promised her.

"It hurts so much," Lottie told her.

"I know," Catelyn agreed, nodding slightly, "but you need to tell Robb … he needs to know"

"I know," she whispered, "I just … I'm just so scared to admit it's real … because once I do I will start to care for it … to love it …"

"That's not a bad thing Lottie," Catelyn insisted.

"I know that too," Lottie nodded fiercely, "I just want it so badly to be all alright"

"It is as I said … there is no reason why it shouldn't be," Catelyn said kindly and she nodded again.

"Thank you Lady Stark," Lottie whispered then.

"Catelyn," she corrected her, "we are kin now after all"

"Catelyn," Lottie agreed with a watery smile.

"I know how I've made you feel … and truly, I am sorry," Catelyn told her.

"It's forgotten … there are far more important things for us to think of," Lottie said.

Catelyn smiled at her then and squeezed her shoulder reassuringly as she mopped up her remaining tears with the hem of her sleeve. She truly did regret being so unkind to her good-daughter, she had been stubborn and foolish and completely unfair. Lottie's forgiveness had been so easily given that it only served to heighten Catelyn's feelings of guilt. She would go and pray once she was certain that Lottie was alright, she would pray for the health of her good-daughter and the child she was carrying inside her.

Lottie looked up from wiping her eyes then and smiled properly at Catelyn as the door to the room opened and Robb strode in. He stopped dead at the sight that greeted him, his wife and mother stood facing one another in the middle of the room. At once he knew that Lottie had been crying and he instantly hoped that it wasn't his mother who had upset her. Catelyn saw the slight look of anger cross his features then and she knew at once what he must be thinking.

"What's going on here?" Robb asked then and Catelyn glanced back at Lottie who nodded slightly.

"I'll leave you alone," she said, making her way to the door.

"Did she upset you?" Robb demanded as soon as his mother had gone.

"No," Lottie said, shaking her head and smiling at him.

"You've been crying," he stated, coming towards her, "what's happened?"

"Robb please calm down, she didn't upset me she was … comforting me," Lottie told him.

"Why?" he asked her, his brow creasing into a frown, "what's wrong?"

"I've been keeping something from you," she said then and his frown deepened.

"Why?" he asked her.

"I've been scared … scared of even admitting it to myself," she said, meeting his confused gaze.

"Admitting what to yourself?" he questioned, his own fears peaking now.

"I'm with child Robb," she told him.

He could do nothing but stare at her then, his mind going temporarily blank as her words spun round and round in it, the only things he could focus on. Eventually he managed to blink a few times and pull himself back to the reality of his wife standing in front of him and looking at him half in concern and half in apprehension. She was worried he was angry with her and that was the last thing he wanted her to feel because it was the last thing he was. Still he could find no words but he managed to step forwards and crush her into his arms, her own arms coming tight around him as she breathed a sigh of relief against his broad chest.

"I love you," he murmured against her hair then and she clutched him even closer.

"And I love you … I'm so sorry I didn't tell you before," she breathed.

"I understand," he said quietly, pressing his lips to the top of her head, "I know it must be hard"

"I'm frightened Robb," she confessed and he wished he had the words to soothe her.

"I'm here," he said simply, not knowing what else he could possibly say.

"I know," she whispered and he kissed her head firmly again.

"I always will be Lottie I promise … always, no matter what," he swore to her and she pulled back slightly so she could meet his eyes.

"Thank you," she said sincerely, "that means so much to me."

* * *

Robb couldn't close his eyes. He lay there curled up around Lottie, her back pressed firmly against his chest, his hand settled on her silk covered stomach. Now she had told him it was so obvious. He could feel the tiny rounded bump under his touch. She was sleeping peacefully as he cradled her against him and he wished more than ever that they didn't have to go to Riverrun. He wished they were back at Winterfell and he found himself silently praying that the snows wouldn't fall until they returned. It was cold enough already and it had just become doubly important to him to keep his wife safe and secure and warm. She had his child growing inside her, a baby that was a part of him as much as it was a part of her. He wouldn't lose that. Not again.

Lottie stirred against him then and mumbled sleepily causing him to tighten his hold on her slightly and press a soothing kiss to her hair. It didn't work, her eyes were fluttering open and a slight look of surprise crossed her features when she saw him already awake through the faint light of the room.

"Are you alright?" he breathed.

"I need …" she started, a yawn cutting her off, "I need to go to the bathroom"

"I'll escort you," he said, this inn didn't have a room with an adjoining washroom and he didn't want Lottie roaming about on her own in the night.

"You stay where it's warm," she protested as she moved away from him and pushed the furs away from herself.

"You said you'd do as you were told," he reminded her and she rolled her eyes at him as she pulled on a robe.

"That's mine," he told her as she wrapped it tightly around her.

"Do you want it back?" she asked him and he shook his head.

"Keep it on, no doubt it's warmer than your own," he said.

"Mine's plenty warm," she grumbled as he followed her to the door.

"It's made of silk," he countered her.

"It's not even cold here," she said as they padded down the hallway.

"It will be soon enough," he said seriously and she rolled her eyes again.

"I know, I know," she sighed, "winter is coming."

He grinned at her then and she couldn't help but smile back at him before she closed the door of the washroom to him.

* * *

Catelyn watched the way Robb handled Lottie with such care as they all mounted their horses outside the inn the next morning. Obviously she had told him and she could only assume that he had been thrilled at the news. Robb would be a wonderful father she knew that, just liked Ned had been most likely but perhaps just a little less stern. The children had always known their father loved them though and she knew how much they all missed him. She stopped thinking of him then before she began to get emotional and kicked her horse into motion along with the rest of the party. The shout came down through the lines then that they would be arriving at the Twins by nightfall and she visibly saw Robb stiffen. Lottie reached her hand out to him then as she rode her horse closer to his and she was pleased to see her son take it and grip it tightly for a long moment.

Being back at the Twins would not be easy for Robb, especially as Walder Frey would also be entertaining the woman who had essentially replaced his daughter. She knew it wasn't like that, not really, but that was what it would come down to. She could only hope that Lottie's way with people would be enough to ease any underlying tension. As they rode on she tried not to dwell on it but when the Twins came into sight as the sun began to set she felt her own body tense. She could only imagine how Robb was feeling. Walder had come out to welcome them when they rode into the courtyard and Catelyn managed a little breath of relief. Robb dismounted just ahead of her and helped Lottie down from her own horse before they walked arm in arm towards his former good-father.

Walder bowed shortly before casting his eyes over Robb and Lottie. Robb practically stopped breathing as Walder considered his wife, his gaze seemingly searching for something before his lips quirked up into the ghost of a smile.

"Your Graces," he finally greeted and Robb managed to breathe again.

"My Lord," Robb bowed his own head to him as Lottie curtseyed at his side.

"Let us break bread, take some wine," Walder said gruffly before making to walk back up the steps.

"Thank you my Lord," Lottie said politely, noticing that Robb's eyes strayed towards the gardens; "go and see her," she told him quietly and he snapped his gaze to her.

"And leave you alone? No it's fine," he said.

"_Go_," she stressed, moving her hand from his arm, "I will be just fine, your mother is here remember"

"Yes indeed I am," Catelyn said then from just behind him.

"I'm sure we will be just fine for a while," Lottie promised him then and he nodded.

"I'll not be long," he said, placing a kiss to her forehead.

"Take all the time you need," she said softly and he pressed another kiss on top of her head before making his way towards the gardens.

Catelyn was surprised at how calm and smooth Lottie's expression was as they climbed the steps into the keep in complete step with one another. She wasn't sure whether to say anything or not but a serving girl came bustling towards them then to show them towards Walder's private parlour and so she stayed quiet as they were ushered in. It was only Walder in there and he barked at the girl to pour wine for both her and Lottie then as he saw them enter.

"Where's his Grace?" he asked then, looking towards the door for a sign of Robb.

"He has gone out to the gardens," Catelyn said meaningfully and a look of sadness flashed across the old man's features for a moment.

"Aye," he nodded absently for a moment before taking a long drink of wine.

"Forgive me my Lady," a squire popped his head round the door then, "a raven has come from Riverrun and I didn't wish to disturb the King"

"Oh," Catelyn said, looking awkwardly between Walder and Lottie, unsure of what to do.

"You should go Lady Stark, Lord Tully is your brother after all, best you read it and not me," Lottie said.

"I'll not be long," she promised, rising up and sweeping from the room.

"You're not what I expected," Walder stated as soon as Catelyn had gone and Lottie looked at him.

"What did you expect my Lord?" she asked him and he frowned slightly.

"I'm not sure," he admitted, "but it wasn't you"

"I don't think many expected me," she said wryly and he snorted slightly.

"Does it not bother you?" he questioned after a pause.

"What?" she frowned.

"That he's out there … with her," he stated and she gazed back evenly.

"Why should it bother me? Robb loves her very much," she said calmly and it was his turn to frown.

"And you don't mind?" he pressed her.

"We all have pasts Lord Frey," she said then and he smiled wryly. That was an understatement.

"Only Roslin is still in his present," he said and she smiled faintly.

"Some things never leave us … but that doesn't mean we should not be happy does it?" she asked him with a raised brow.

"I suppose not," he said gruffly then, taking a long sip of wine; "you know," he finally said, "strange as this may sound I think she would have liked you."

* * *

Robb was knelt, gazing at the stone with its words that he had chosen. Words that weren't nearly enough. No words could even be enough. He didn't feel the gut wrenching pain though, nor the ferocious stabbing in his heart. He felt peaceful as he sat here with her, somehow feeling like she was watching him. If she was angry he would know. She wasn't angry with him. He touched his hand to the rough granite then and traced his finger over her name.

"I still miss you," he murmured then; "I think of you every day but it doesn't hurt the same any more. I smile when I think of how you smiled, how you laughed, those silly nonsense things you would say in your sleep. I don't know if you've seen Lottie … I think you would have liked her. I hope you approve sweetheart, I think I'd know if you didn't. She told me yesterday I'm to be a father … she has so many fears about it but I am so, so pleased. Would you watch over her for me? It's an odd thing to ask I know but … you knew what it felt like to have that love inside you for something you had yet to meet. I am so sorry that you never had that chance … I so wish you had … Gods our baby would be getting big by now … I suppose it was just not meant to be. I miss you sweetheart, but I know you're at peace and I hope you are happy in the heavens as you so deserve to be. I'm happy. I never thought I could be happy without you by my side but I am … I'm happy."

* * *

**A/N: **Hope you enjoyed, you may have guessed that things won't be easy!


	19. XIX

**A/N: **Sorry! This is later than anticipated but here it is! Hope you all enjoy - let me know!

:)

* * *

**XIX**

* * *

Robb sighed in satisfaction as he reclined in the tub, the hot water easing his aching muscles as he relaxed his body totally for the first time in weeks. He had tried to fight the tension on the way to Riverrun but it just would not leave his body as he spent his time constantly on edge that something terrible would happen. His fears had only heightened with Lottie's confession that she was pregnant. He knew of course why she hadn't told him before but Gods he wished she had because then he would have had even more reason to leave her behind at Winterfell. Still, it was too late now, they were in Riverrun and the tourney was due to start on the morrow. Stannis had also arrived and Robb had already been informed by his uncle Edmure that he had requested Robb's presence for a private dinner. Robb assumed his invitation included Lottie. He would be taking her anyway, he was loathe to let her out of his sight for more than a minute; even now when they were safe from the dangers of the open road.

She had given him the slip as soon as he had gone to take a bath though and he just knew that she and Sansa would be together and deciding on which dress they would be wearing for the first day of the tourney. Lottie wanted to look like a Queen he could be proud of and the thinking of her going to so much trouble just to please him made him smile. She didn't need to go to so much effort but he was so pleased that she was. She had been so worried before they had wed that she wouldn't know how to be Queen and yet she had taken it all in her stride and he was so proud of her. As Robb thought of her he closed his eyes and relaxed even more, only snapping his eyes open when he heard the door of the chambers open and close.

"Is that you Lottie?" he called out after a moment.

"Were you expecting someone else?" she asked him, her head popping round the screen.

"No," he smiled at her and she returned it gladly.

"You should hurry up, the King is expecting us," she told him then as she retreated towards her trunk of belongings.

"Just another few minutes," he sighed and she smiled slightly.

"I'll put you some clothes out," she said.

"Are you going to dress me as well?" he asked in amusement and she giggled.

"If you insist," she answered him.

"Hmm …" he pretended to ponder, "I think I'd rather you undress me later"

"Well, we shall have to see about that won't we," she said as she unlaced the dress she was wearing.

"I am of course already undressed," he said just behind her then and she jumped.

"You frightened the life out of me!" she exclaimed and he rubbed his hands up and down the top of her arms to soothe her.

"I didn't mean to," he whispered before trailing his lips across her shoulder.

"Robb we really will be late for the King," she protested.

"Really … I am sure he will understand when he sees how beautiful you are," he countered.

"Or … we could just be on time?" she suggested.

"I prefer it when you're irresponsible," he almost growled before releasing her.

"Later husband," she joked as she stepped into her new dress and laced it up.

"You can count on it," he replied, pulling her to him for a moment and nipping at her lips.

"Get dressed," she managed to get out between his kisses.

"You're a demanding wife tonight," he chuckled slightly as he went to pull on his own clothes.

"I don't want to make a bad impression," she said and he rolled his eyes.

"Impossible," he said dismissively.

"You have met your mother?" she said with a raised brow and he chuckled as he fastened up his doublet.

"You get on well enough now," he said.

"Yes _now_," she said, "after how long? I don't have months to win over King Stannis"

"You will only need seconds," he promised her, capturing her lips again before she could protest anymore.

* * *

Lottie concentrated on breathing evenly as she as Robb walked arm in arm down the seemingly deserted hallways of Riverrun towards the small parlour where they would be sharing a private dinner with King Stannis and his Queen too most like. She was ridiculously nervous, her free hand coming to rest on the small swell of her stomach which she was not completely certain she wanted on display. It wasn't completely obvious yet but anyone with a beady enough eye would be sure to guess that she was with child and it made her nervous. Having a baby was one thing, having everyone else in the Kingdoms knowing she was having a baby was quite another. She glanced up at Robb then but he was looking straight ahead as they continued on down the hallway and so she moved her own eyes back to the front again and tried to control her hammering heart.

Robb knocked when they reached the right door and the clear voice of a man she assumed must be the King called back at them to enter after a moment. It was strange hearing a southern voice after so much time being surrounded entirely by northern accents. Robb pushed open the door then and she dropped his arm and allowed him to enter first, trailing slightly apprehensively behind him but managing to keep her head high.

"Your Grace," Robb greeted formally then.

"_Your_ Grace," Stannis returned with a hint of amusement she had not expected to hear.

"How are you?" Robb asked him then, striding further into the room.

"Well indeed, and you Stark?" Stannis replied as he stood up from the table to greet him properly.

"Very well," Robb smiled at him and they embraced in a brotherly fashion for a moment.

"How's the north?" Stannis asked him then.

"Cold," Robb replied.

"I'll bet," Stannis chuckled slightly.

"May I introduce my wife, Charlotte," Robb said then, holding his hand out for Lottie's.

"Aah, of course, a pleasure your Grace," Stannis bowed slightly before kissing the back of her hand.

"Lottie is just fine your Grace," she said with a smile.

"As is Stannis," he replied, returning her smile.

Robb smiled himself then at the exchange. Lottie had been so paranoid that the meeting would go badly but now Stannis was ushering her to the table and pulling out her chair for her, insisting on pouring her wine himself. Robb made his own way over to join them and seated himself between his wife and Stannis, thanking the man when he also poured him a large glass of wine. Lottie merely sipped at her own to be polite, Robb knew that she had lost her taste for wine since she had become pregnant but he knew better than to draw attention to it. She didn't want any big announcement and he was happy to respect her wishes. Carrying this baby would be difficult enough for her without everyone's eyes on her growing stomach.

"How is the rebuilding work coming along at Winterfell?" Stannis asked then.

"Well," Robb smiled as servants began to enter with food, "it will all be done by winter; you should visit when spring comes"

"I would be delighted," Stannis said, "I know Shireen would love to visit the North"

"You're always welcome," Robb said as he began to pull food onto his plate.

"I'm grateful," Stannis replied, "You must forgive my wife by the way, she is weary from the journey and didn't feel up to joining us"

"It's no matter," Robb said.

"I hope the food is to your taste Lottie," Stannis said then and Robb noted how little she had on her plate.

"It's all wonderful," she assured him, "But like your wife I am weary from our journey, my stomach has not yet settled yet"

"The things we put ourselves through for tourneys," Stannis smiled at her and she returned it.

"Are you entering the lists?" Robb asked him then.

"Gods no," he chuckled, "are you?"

"Not likely," Robb said wearily, a smile stretched across his own face.

Their conversation continued on in a light-hearted manner, both men drinking several glasses of wine while Lottie still nursed the one she originally had. Thankfully Stannis said nothing, likely he assumed she was refilling her own glass as he chattered amiably with her husband. He and Robb were sharing old tales from the war. Lottie imagined most would find such conversations dull but it was fascinating for her to hear it spoken about from the other side. All she knew of the war was what Lyndon had told her and his perspective was entirely different. She and Robb had never spoken of the war; likely neither of them wanted to bring it up considering they had technically been on opposing sides. Stannis and Robb spoke in a completely relaxed manner with one another which slightly surprised Lottie. She had thought that perhaps egos would be flexing as there were two King's in such a small space but neither of them seemed to be trying to outdo the other. She smiled slightly then and realised just how tired she was.

"You'll have to excuse me," she said then as there was a break in the conversation, "I am afraid I simply must retire if I am to stay awake through the tourney tomorrow"

"Of course," Stannis smiled, "you must forgive us for boring you with such old tales"

"Not at all," she returned his smile happily, "I actually found it all rather fascinating"

"I shan't be long," Robb said then, leaning across for her hand and placing a kiss to the back of it.

"Be as long as you like," she returned and he let her hand go so she could rise from the table.

"Goodnight," Robb smiled up at her then and she beamed back at him before squeezing his shoulder.

"Goodnight Robb," she said before she wandered from the room.

"I'm glad to see you so happy Stark," Stannis commented once she was gone.

"Thank you," Robb replied.

"I have to admit I was surprised by your choice of bride," he confessed then.

"You weren't the only one," Robb said and Stannis chuckled.

"What did your Lords make of it?" he asked.

"They were fine … it was my mother that was the problem," Robb said and he snorted.

"A formidable woman your mother, I admire her tremendously," Stannis said.

"You'll be glad to see her tomorrow then," Robb smiled.

"Yes indeed," he agreed, "speaking of mother's … did you know your wife's is here?"

"You're not serious?" Robb asked him.

"I assume they are estranged?" Stannis raised his brows.

"That's putting it mildly," Robb sighed.

"I thought it best to tell you once she had retired," Stannis nodded.

"Thank you," Robb said wearily, "are both her parents here?"

"Yes," he nodded again.

"Why?" Robb questioned then with a frown.

"Rumours of a revolt from the Westerlands reached my ears … so I thought it best to invite all the most prominent Lords here," Stannis told him.

"To keep an eye on them?" Robb guessed and he nodded.

"Just a precaution," he said.

"Do you think they pose any threat?" Robb asked.

"I don't know, but I'd rather not take the chance, not with winter coming," Stannis sighed.

"No," Robb agreed, "the last thing we need is another war"

"Truer words were never spoken," Stannis said.

"If it does come to it though … you know where I am," Robb said seriously.

"I do, thank you Stark," Stannis said just as seriously, "but let us pray that it does not."

* * *

When Robb finally departed Stannis' company his mind was racing. He felt reassured that there would not be another rebellion – Stannis seemed of the opinion that it was nothing more than wishful thinking and Robb was inclined to agree with him. It was the thought of Lottie's parents being here that bothered him. Would they approach her if they saw her? Of course they would see her, he thought to himself as he walked down the hallway towards their chambers. She would be sat at his side in the Royal box with Stannis and Selyse, on display to everyone present. Would they come to him and request to speak with her or would they go to her directly? Would then even acknowledge her presence? They had done a good job so far of ignoring her. He wondered then if he should even tell her that they were here.

He let himself quietly into their rooms as he pondered it. The last thing he needed was to have her upset in her condition. Then again, if he didn't warn her that they were present and she came upon them accidently it would be an even bigger shock to her. Either way, he was risking her getting upset and agitated and he hated seeing her that way and he did not want it to risk the health of their baby. He would have to tell her, he decided as he pulled off his boots and unlaced his doublet. He would tell her in the morning, he had to, he had promised her that they would always be honest with one another and he wouldn't lie to her about something like this. He shrugged out of his shirt then and padded lightly to the bed, her even breathing reaching his ears as he carefully pulled back the sheets and furs. The bed was perfectly warm as he slipped into it, her body heating the sheets perfectly and he sighed in contentment and allowed his mind to forget all about her parents. They could wait till morning, right now he just wanted to wrap his arms around his wife and fall asleep with her scent consuming his senses.

* * *

Robb woke to Lottie squirming in his arms and her movement had him hardening at once, his length pressing into the small of her back and causing her to turn in his arms, her hands wandering up his bare chest to rub across his shoulders.

"Good morning," she said slyly and he grinned at her.

"It's your fault," he said huskily and she bit down gently on her lower lip as she considered him.

"I suppose you'd like me to do something about it?" she said, cocking her head to one side.

"That is your duty," he teased her and she slapped his shoulder playfully before pushing against them so he rolled onto his back.

He grinned at her again then as she pulled herself firmly astride him and rocked her hips slightly, making him groan out. She smirked and moved them again, feeling his hardness through his breeches, her own desire beginning to rise up in her now as she gazed down at him.

"Stop teasing me," he growled at her and she let her hands firmly wander his chest in response causing him to exhale deeply, "Lottie …"

"Alright," she sighed in mock exasperation, "if you insist on being so impatient …"

He merely let his own hands sneak under the hem of her nightdress in response, running them up her smooth legs slowly, tugging the silk material with him as they finally came to settle high on her thighs as her fingers slowly unlaced him. When he was free he tightened his hands slightly around her thighs to encourage her to shift forwards and she did what he wanted, lifting her hips slightly so she could slide herself down onto his length. He groaned out his satisfaction at her movement and pulled himself up so he could face her as she began rocking her hips slowly, sending waves of pleasure rolling through both of them.

Robb wandered his hands from her thighs as she continued her motions and let them trail along her arms and peel the thin straps of her nightdress down her shoulders. When she noticed what he was doing she let her own hands come away from his shoulders so he could bare her breasts. His lips were at one of her breasts as soon as the silk came away, the other he used his hand to shower attention on, his ministrations coaxing the most perfect moans from her. Her breasts were even more sensitive to his touch and his kiss now that she was with child and he knew exactly how to manipulate them, putting just the right pressure on just the right places. Robb seemed to know just what to do to turn her into a trembling, wanton wreck and she didn't mind it one bit.

Lottie's hands fisted in his hair as he continued kissing and palming at her breasts, her breaths sharp in his ear as she began to rock her hips ever so slightly faster. He growled out his appreciation of her quickening pace, letting his other hand come to her hip to aid her as he finally began trailing his lips upwards to he could graze at her neck. She tilted her head back as his kisses pressed across her throat, another moan leaving her as she rocked her hips as far as they would go so he filled her completely. His own breathing was ragged against her neck and she could feel the heat of it and it made her even more aroused as she quickened her pace even more. Robb let his other hand come down to her hip too then, his fingertips digging in slightly as she pushed him further towards the edge. He could tell by her laboured breathing and sharp little cries in his ear that she was coming to her own end and he pulled her tight against him, knowing the movement would hit that spot she loved and he wasn't disappointed.

As she came crashing down around him he felt himself peak, his fingers digging even further into her hips for a moment as he twitched to the end. Her head dropped down to his shoulder heavily after she had released her final moan and he moved his hands up to circle around her back and press her close to him as her own toyed with the curls at the nape of his neck. When their breathing finally began to calm he shifted his hands back to her hips to gently move her in his lap so that he could slide out of her and she lifted her head up to look at him.

"Better?" she asked him with a smile.

"Much," he grinned back and her own smile seemed to widen.

"We should get up and ready, what time do the events begin?" she asked him then as she rearranged her nightdress and made to move away from him.

"Noon," he said, watching her progress as she got up from the bed and padded towards the dresser.

"Are you not getting up?" she enquired as she looked at him in the mirror.

"I will once my breathing returns to normal," he joked and she smiled widely.

"Don't tell me I wore you out?" she questioned as she let her nightdress fall.

"If you don't dress yourself quickly I shall have to make you do it again," he growled at her and she giggled.

"You are an insatiable man Robb Stark," she said as she pulled a shift about her.

"You're a tease," he shot back and she grinned at him in the mirror.

"I'm merely getting dressed," she said and he narrowed his eyes at her.

"In a teasing fashion," he accused but she merely shrugged and contemplated which dress she would wear for the first day of the tourney.

Robb watched her for a moment but then sighed in defeat and got himself up and out of bed. He stretched fully when he was up before pulling his breeches down his hips and wandering to the trunk he had not yet unpacked and pulling out some more. After he had pulled them on and laced them he fished out a shirt and turned to see Lottie eyeing him with a slightly glazed look in her eyes.

"What?" he asked her.

"You say I'm a tease?" she said, raising one of her brows at him.

"I'm merely getting dressed," he repeated her own protestation back at her and she shook her head.

He saw her smile though as she muttered something under her breath as she sat down in front of the vanity and began brushing her hair through. Robb smiled slightly as he watched her, pulling on his shirt and then a doublet before scanning the room for his boots. As he pulled them on he remembered what Stannis had told him the night before about her parents and he bit down worriedly on his lower lip. Damn it all, she had driven all thoughts from his mind as soon as he had risen this morning but now he was thinking clearly again and worrying about how exactly he should phrase his next words.

"Lottie?" he began tentatively.

"Hmm?" she returned as she twisted and plaited her blonde hair up and pinned it to the back of her head.

"Stannis mentioned last night that … that your parents are attending the tourney," he said and she seemed to freeze at once.

"Why?" she finally managed.

"Word of rebellion in the Westerlands, Stannis invited the most prominent Lords as a precaution," he explained and she nodded slowly.

"And naturally my father would be one to cause trouble," she said and he sighed.

"I'm sorry Lottie," he said heavily.

"What do you have to be sorry for? It's not your fault, it will just have to be endured," she said.

"You are alright?" he questioned her.

"I'm fine," she promised him, resuming fixing her hair, "likely they'll just ignore me anyway, I have bigger things to worry about"

"Like what?" he frowned as she slid the final pin in place and rose up from the vanity.

"Like this," she said gesturing to her stomach.

"What about it?" he asked as he got up from the edge of the bed and approached her.

"It's obvious, everyone will be able to tell," she said, smoothing her hands over the small bump.

"Is that so bad?" he questioned, his own hands coming to rest on hers.

"I suppose not … I just didn't ever expect to be on such prominent display," she confessed.

"You look utterly beautiful, don't worry about a thing," he urged her and she smiled.

"You always know what to say," she said then and he beamed back at her.

"I'm glad you think so," he said and she tilted her head up so he could kiss her.

"I love you," she whispered when he finally pulled away.

"I love you too," he returned, "and I don't want you to worry about a thing, I will be at your side throughout all of this … the tourney, everything."

* * *

**A/N: **So having introduced the all new and improved Walder Frey I decided I would also introduce the all new and smiling Stannis ;)

Thoughts?

:)


	20. XX

**A/N: **Hey guys! New chapter for you all - it all gets a bit emotional ... let me know what you think!

**Lizzie: **Thank you! Allow me to feed the addiction with a new chapter, I'm so glad you like it! :)

Hope you enjoy this one lovelies!

:)

* * *

**XX**

* * *

"Please welcome our honoured guests, Stannis Baratheon, King of the Southern Kingdoms and his Queen, Selyse!" the announcer began and Robb smiled slightly at Stannis before the older man stepped out and into the Royal box with his wife following just behind him. Robb glanced at Lottie then as the crowds all roared and cheered for them and saw that she looked rather apprehensive. Before he could say anything reassuring though the announcer was speaking again; "And Robb Stark, King in the North and his Queen, Charlotte!"

Robb took her hand tightly in his then and she returned the pressure gratefully as they too stepped into the Royal box, Robb's hand raising to acknowledge the cheering crowd before he ushered Lottie to her seat, waiting until she was settled before he took his place between her and Stannis. He glanced at her again and she smiled at him and he breathed a sigh of relief as he saw the gesture reached her stormy eyes.

"What's the first event?" Robb asked Stannis then when he was satisfied his wife was alright.

"Hand to hand," Stannis answered him.

"It's almost tempting isn't it?" Robb joked and Stannis chuckled.

"Almost," Stannis agreed, "have you made any wager?"

"None as yet," Robb said, "I suppose I should put some coin on a Northman though"

"You should," Stannis agreed again with a smile.

"What do you think Lottie?" Robb caught her attention then and she sighed in thought.

"I would place my coin on Harrion Karstark," she said after a moment and Robb nodded.

"He is good," her husband agreed and she smiled widely at him.

"He would be delighted his Queen has such faith in him," Lord Karstark turned in his place in the rows to the side of them to address her and she beamed at him.

A few other men turned then and Robb and Stannis were soon caught up in discussing who they believed would triumph in the various events. Lottie listened for a while but soon lost the thread of the conversation when their discussion became more technical. She glanced towards Selyse but the Queen was focusing all her attentions on her young daughter at her side and Lottie didn't want to interrupt them. She turned and saw Catelyn and Sansa sat just outside the Royal box but they too were caught up in conversation with some Tully men. Robb was still caught up in conversation, the debate getting more and more heated the longer it went on and Lottie rolled her eyes. Men. They got on perfectly well until swords got involved. She let her eyes wander the crowd then until they fell on someone she had thought she would never see again.

Her mother.

Suddenly she felt as though she could barely breathe, that everything was wrong. That she was doing everything wrong. Her hand clenched tightly around the arm of the throne she had been seated on. Her throne. Because she was Queen. She was Robb's Queen and this was her place. Nothing was wrong. She was sat at the side of her husband with his child in her belly. Nothing was wrong. She told herself that over and over and slowly her hand relaxed, her breathing coming back to her as she blinked a few times and moved her eyes away from her mother. She vaguely wondered where her father was but quickly stopped. She couldn't help her eyes sliding back to her mother then and her stomach clenched horribly as she looked up and met her eyes. It was only for a second but it was enough. Lottie looked away at once and in the next instant Robb's hand came to cover hers.

"Are you alright?" he asked her concernedly.

"Fine," she forced a smile that he frowned slightly at, "have you decided where you will place your coin?" she asked before he could press her.

"You seemed set on Harrion Karstark," Robb smiled and she nodded slightly.

"You know better than me," she countered, her smile coming easier this time as his thumb brushed soothingly up and down the back of her hand.

"I am happy to trust my Queen's instincts," he said and she laughed lightly.

"Well do not blame me if you lose your coin," she warned him and he grinned.

"My son won't fail you my Queen," Lord Karstark said then.

"I am sure he won't my Lord," she smiled back at him, "not with my husband's coin at stake"

Both men chuckled at that and Lottie felt much better, gratefully accepting the watered down wine that Robb had requested be brought out for her. She took a small sip and felt Robb lift her hand and place a kiss to the back of it as she did so. When she lowered her glass she turned and smiled at him and he was relieved to see that it lit her eyes again. He expected that she had just been nervous before what with all the people here and them in such a prominent position. She needn't worry, she looked utterly beautiful and her pregnancy was not so obvious now she was sat down. He called for a squire then and pressed a gold dragon into his palm and bid him go and place a wager on Harrion Karstark winning the hand to hand combat.

Lottie let out a tiny sigh of contentment then and laced her fingers firmly with Robb's as they waited for the first opponents to enter the arena. She wouldn't dwell on her parents anymore. They had made it quite clear that they wanted nothing to do with her so she would sit and smile and enjoy herself at this tourney because after everything she was _allowed _to be happy. Robb squeezed her hand slightly then and she turned to look at him, seeing his own attention fixed on the men who were readying themselves for combat. Gods she was so lucky to have him.

* * *

When Harrion Karstark entered the arena he was met with a loud roar that sounded distinctly northern to Lottie's ears as she clapped him politely as she had the others. Robb seemed to clap more enthusiastically for him than he had for any of the others so far and she smiled slightly at his blatant favouritism. Harrion and his opponent came to bow before the Royal box then and both Stannis and Robb nodded their heads in acknowledgement.

"I wonder your Grace if I may ask the Queen for her favours as luck?" Harrion asked then and Lord Karstark chuckled.

"If my Queen would give you her favours then I will not deny her," Robb said smoothly then.

"My Queen?" Harrion bowed, "It would be an honour"

"And my pleasure," Lottie said, standing gracefully and stepping towards the edge of the box to hand down her favour to the young man.

"Thank you my Queen," he said gratefully as he took it from her, "I will wear them with pride"

"I wish you all the luck of the Gods," she said sincerely before stepping back.

Robb took her hand again as she reclaimed her place and she smiled at him before watching Harrion wrap the white ribbon trimmed with fine silver thread around his sword belt and tie it securely. She sincerely hoped it would bring him luck as he and his opponent sized one another up, just waiting for the announcer to officially declare the beginning of the bout.

Lottie self-consciously lay her hand on the small swell of her stomach as their swords began to clash. Standing up and handing her favour to Harrion had put her on even more obvious display and she was certain that many would have guessed her condition. She hoped it wouldn't be the cause of too much gossip. She was used to being whispered about but she didn't want people muttering about the size of her belly and speculating on when a Royal heir would be making an appearance. Even she wasn't ready to think about when the baby would come yet, it was far too early to start thinking of such things. She knew Robb was, he was beside himself and willing the months to fly by quickly so he could hold his baby in his arms. She wished she could let herself be as excited as him but she was too scared to let her emotions run away with her. To let the happiness consume her. She had done that with Arthur and the pain of losing him had almost killed her. She wouldn't be able to take it again so she had to keep her guard up, at least for now.

She was distracted by her rather bleak thoughts as a loud cheer erupted around the arena and Robb's hand pulled away from hers so he could applaud loudly. He even got to his feet as Harrion pulled off his helm and beamed at the cheering crowd. Lottie followed suit, putting her own hands together and painting a smile on her face for the victor. Harrion seemed to be winning favour from more of the crowd now, not just the northern section. Lottie could understand why, he was young and handsome and powerfully built. No doubt the young maidens would be swooning over him if he continued his way through the tourney with more and more victories.

* * *

As the afternoon wore on Lottie began to shift uncomfortably in her seat. She desperately needed to go to the bathroom but she didn't want to appear rude. Damn baby. She should have remembered that being pregnant left her needing the bathroom almost twice as often as she usually would. She glanced at Robb then and saw him engrossed in the fighting men. The last thing she wanted was to drag him away from the event but she knew that he would no doubt insist on coming with her. It would do no good, willing the desperate need to relieve herself to go away did not seem to be working and so she nudged Robb lightly in the ribs.

"Hmm?" he asked distractedly, not taking his eyes from the arena.

"I'm just going to the bathroom … I'll only be a minute," she told him quietly.

"Hold on … I'll come with you," he said, still not turning from the fight.

"I've been holding on for hours, I _need _to go Robb, you stay and watch the fight … I'll be back before you even have time to miss me," she promised him.

"Alright," he said, finally turning to look at her, "so long as you're sure"

"I'm sure … the bathroom is not far," she assured him.

"Alright," he repeated, leaning in and brushing her lips lightly before he turned his attention back to the bout.

She smiled slightly as she got to her feet, Robb had moaned and moaned about having to come to the tourney but now he was here she knew he was enjoying himself immensely. Lottie hurried as fast as she dared round the back of the tourney buildings and towards where she knew the bathroom was. After relieving her discomfort she wandered more slowly back towards the arena where she could hear the crowds cheering again. She could only assume that the bout Robb had been so engrossed in had come to its conclusion.

"Charlotte!" a sharp voice called out then and her steps faltered. Damn it. Why now when she was alone? She took a deep breath and slowly turned.

"Mother," she said evenly.

"Look at you," her mother said, her cold eyes sweeping up and down her and making her feel completely bare and ashamed.

"Yes … look at you," her father rounded the corner then and she wanted to run away.

"Father," she said smoothly, working hard to keep the shake from her voice.

"You are quite the vision," he said then and even though his words were complimentary his tone was anything but.

"Thank you," she said anyway.

"You have been making quite the spectacle of yourself," her mother sniffed then.

"Excuse me?" Lottie asked in sheer shock.

"Parading your condition and handing out favours to young knights, have you no shame?" she practically spat at her and Lottie flinched.

"I am not parading anything," she said defensively, "and I gave my favour to _one _man that my husband placed a wager on"

"Aah yes, your husband … how long was Lyndon cold before you spread your legs for Stark?" her father asked her then and her mouth fell open.

"You always were flighty Charlotte but I never dreamed you would turn into such a wanton whore," her mother added and her fists clenched.

"How dare you … I may be your daughter but I am also a Queen and you should treat me with the respect I deserve!" she demanded.

"You have betrayed this family … you are no daughter of mine," her father said.

"Good!" she shot back.

"Charlotte Morvay! You take that back this instant, you ought not to speak to your father in such a way!" her mother cried, aghast.

"But he has just declared I am not his daughter," she returned in an instant, "and it is Charlotte Stark now, mother"

"You married without your father's permission," her mother went on as though she hadn't heard her.

"Oh, did he have a better prospect in mind for me?" Lottie asked sarcastically.

"You should have come home when Lyndon died," her father spat out then.

"You should have come and got me!" she almost shouted at him.

"Charlotte …" her mother began warningly.

"No!" she shook her head, her voice raising, "no, I know that you didn't lead your men into the final battle for the Capitol! I know you pulled them back – you could have sent them to get me from Cubston Hall but you didn't! You left me there even though you knew with Lyndon dead and the Lannister's deposed that I would be in danger! You left me there to be thrown out into the wilds with nothing! You left me to fend for myself, to try and make my way to the King's Road myself, to almost be raped in the woods by myself!"

Her parents stared at her then and she was furious that tears were now welling in her eyes. She didn't want to cry in front of them. She didn't want to be weak and pathetic in front of _them_. She took a deep shuddering breath then and stared right back, silently daring one of them to contradict her.

"You weren't forced upon?" her father asked then, his tone slightly softer now although his eyes were still cold.

"No," she said, the shake entering her voice now, "thanks to Robb"

"And he claimed you as his reward did he?" her mother asked then and she wanted to slap her.

"No," she said, looking her dead in the eye, "he would never have done that, he is a man of honour!"

"Who you married," her father added then and she turned her eyes on him.

"Yes I married him, because he is a good man who cares for me and treats me well. I married him because he makes me happy and has never once made me feel any shame," she said calmly, "even after you abandoned me I was still trying to make my way home … I was still trying to come south … but then Robb found me and he offered me another option and so I went, I trusted a man I had only just met more than I could ever trust you. I chose to go to the North because the alternative was walking back to be _shamed_," she looked pointedly at her mother, "and _ignored_," she finished, looking her father dead in the eye.

* * *

Robb rounded the corner to make his way around the tourney buildings to where he knew the bathrooms were located. Lottie had been gone far longer than she should have been and his fear was heightening in him. Gods what if something was wrong? If something had happened to her or the baby. He pushed that thought away then, it hurt too much to imagine losing their precious child. He wanted to breathe out in relief when he saw her stood facing two people he did not recognise. She had obviously been caught up in conversation on her return to the arena. His relief was short lived though as he took in her stance and the way her hands were balled into fists at her sides. Suddenly he realised exactly who the two people were in front of her and he almost ran to her side. She turned to him as he approached her hurriedly and he noted that she didn't even attempt to smile.

"Your Grace," her parents bowed and curtseyed to him as he came to a stop at Lottie's side.

"Lord and Lady Morvay I presume?" he said, his tone cold as they nodded to him, "are you alright?" he murmured to Lottie then and she nodded.

"I was just on my way back," she said, forcing her voice to be cheerful.

"I'll walk with you," he said, casting a suspicious look at her parents who seemed to be working hard to keep their expressions smooth.

"Thank you," Lottie said quietly, casting a dark look towards them that Robb didn't miss.

He didn't ask her, not yet at least. He would ask her later when they had a moment alone what they had said and done to upset her. If she told him now likely he would end up swinging for his good-father and that would do his reputation no good at all. Trouble with a family like the Morvay's was the last thing that the Kingdom's needed. Stannis wouldn't thank him for causing tensions and so he merely inclined his head to them as Lottie took his arm. As they turned to walk away Lottie's mother seemed to find her voice.

"I do hope you'll write Charlotte!" she called and Lottie's hand clenched so hard around his arm that he almost winced. Before he could stop her she had released him and rounded on her mother. The look of fury in her eyes made him falter and he couldn't understand why her mother had not yet backed away several paces. Before he could caution her she marched right up to her mother and slapped her hard around the face. Robb seemed to hold his breath – so much for not causing tensions.

"How dare you?!" Lottie demanded, her voice shaking with what he knew to be rage as her mother stared at her in shock, her hand raised to the cheek her daughter had just struck. "You dare ask me to write to you? _You_?! I wrote hundreds of letters to you when I was at Cubston Hall! I wrote to you for guidance after my wedding! I wrote to you to tell you how lonely I was when Lyndon was gone away on his trips! I wrote to you full of joy when I discovered I was with child! I wrote to you when my beautiful little boy was born! I wrote to you when I could barely hold a quill in my hand when he was ripped from the world because no matter how cold you were I just wanted my mother! But you never wrote back! You never wrote me a single word! How could you not write?! How could you let me suffer through all that alone?! Did none of it even reach your heart?! Do you even have one?!"

Robb stepped forward then as his wife finally broke down. The painful sobs that were coming from her tore at his heart and he lay his hands firmly down on her shoulders and pulled her around and into his arms. He was so concerned with Lottie's hysteria that it took him a moment to realise that her mother was just stood there. No flicker of emotion on her face. No hint of any kind of guilt or remorse in her stone eyes. Did the woman have no feeling at all? Lottie was her daughter and yet she was staring at her as though she was nothing. Worse than nothing. It made him angry and he searched for the right words to tell her what an awful person she was but before he could find them her husband was speaking.

"You never wrote back?" he asked in disbelief.

"I …" her mother finally looked rattled and Robb clutched Lottie even closer to his chest as her hands clawed at him desperately, her sobs continuing.

"I specifically _asked _you," her father went on, his voice quiet but Robb could hear the underlying fury, "I asked you to pass on my condolences, I asked you to enquire whether or not she would like us to visit … to attend the funeral … to help …"

"I didn't …" her mother looked well and truly flustered now and Robb looked between her and her husband, stroking a hand through Lottie's hair as she began to calm.

"You told me that she declined the offer … you told me that she didn't want to see us … that she thought it would make her grief worse. How could you lie to me about such a thing?!" his voice finally began to rise and Robb pulled Lottie away slightly.

"It was for the best," her mother said dismissively and for the first time in his life Robb actually wanted to strike a woman.

Lottie pushed away from him then, her hands coming to her cheeks to brush the tears away from her face. He was unnerved at how calm and collected she suddenly appeared when not moments before she had been a hysterical mess. She turned again then and he prepared himself to hold her back in case she went for her mother again.

"Did you really hate me that much?" she whispered, eyes on her mother.

"Charlotte … I had no idea," her father said then but she didn't even spare him a glance.

"Did you?!" she demanded.

"You're my daughter Charlotte, I love you," her mother said but none of them believed it.

"You don't know the meaning of the word," Lottie snarled and Robb placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Perhaps we should go back to the keep," Robb suggested then but she ignored him.

"I'm sorry," Lottie said then, "is that what you want to hear? Do you want to hear how sorry I am that I am such a disappointment to you? I'm sorry I was born a girl. I'm sorry I left you unable to have any more children. I'm sorry if I was a bad child. I'm sorry your grandson died. I'm sorry my perfect Lannister husband died. I'm sorry I didn't come home so you could tell me yourself how disappointing I am. I'm sorry I went to the North and found peace and happiness. I'm sorry for not being the daughter you wanted."

"Charlotte …" her mother whispered then and Robb thought he saw a flicker in her eyes.

"You know I don't ever remember being held in your arms … I remember my Septa holding me and soothing me. I remember the Maester … I even remember father holding me but you … did you ever?"

"No," her mother said then so quietly that she thought she had imagined it.

Lottie let out a laugh then and Robb was bewildered. A look of shock crossed her mother's features and her father's brow furrowed as though he was wondering whether his daughter had lost her senses. She clasped her hand to her mouth then and shook her head as she contemplated her mother, the weight she had been dragging round for so many years suddenly removed from her.

"I would have held Arthur every minute of the day if I could have," Lottie said quietly then, "from the second he came from my body all I wanted to do was love him. Even when he was cold and dead in my arms I still couldn't bear to let him go. All this time I thought it was me … that I had done something; that something was wrong with me and that's why you didn't love me. But it's not me … it's you. There's something wrong with you."

Lottie turned away then and placed her hand back on Robb's arm. He tried to look unaffected as he fell into step with her, unable to quite believe everything that he had just witnessed. He glanced uneasily at Lottie as they walked away from her parents, seeing that her facial expression was completely smooth. She almost looked at peace and he frowned slightly. Perhaps she just needed to let it all out, to let go of all that tension she had been building up inside her for so long.

"Do you want to go back to the keep?" he finally asked her and she shook her head.

"No," she told him simply, "I want to watch the rest of the day's bouts, we need to see if Harrion wins you that wager"

"Lottie," he started but she shook her head again.

"I'm fine," she insisted.

"After all that?" he asked her sceptically.

"Yes," she assured him, "I'm finally free of her and all those demons that torment her. She can't touch me anymore because I have something she will never understand. I have love Robb, even after all the hell I have been through I still have love and she can never take that away from me."

* * *

**A/N: **Hope you all liked Lottie finally having her moment! Think she handled herself rather well ;)

Let me know!

:)


	21. XXI

**A/N: **New chapter! Some flashbacks in this one - we've not had any for a while!

Hope you enjoy, please let me know, as ever your comments are very much appreciated!

:)

* * *

**XXI**

* * *

_He turned his head sharply at her words and she lifted her head from his chest to look him in the eyes, worry gleaming in them as she chewed on her bottom lip slightly._

"_What did you say?" he finally managed to whisper._

"_I have your child inside me," she repeated and in an instant he had flipped her gently back onto her back, his hand coming to rest on her bare stomach. _

"_You're with child …" he breathed, his hand rubbing her soft skin that was still so flat under his touch._

"_I am," she confirmed, the worry no longer in her voice._

"_I love you," he whispered, meeting her eyes again, "thank you …"_

Robb woke with a start, clenching his arms more tightly around Lottie instinctively, causing her to mumble slightly and shove against him. He loosened his grip then as he became fully aware again and she let out a heavy sigh before rolling off his chest and onto her back. Robb took a few deep breaths as her own breathing evened out beside him. Finally he managed to turn his head and look at her, some tiny, irrational part of him thinking he would see a dark haired woman sleeping by his side. Her hair was pale and golden though and he breathed a sigh of relief before feeling guilty. Gods he had not dreamt of Roslin like that in so long. He supposed it had crept up on him, all the worry he had felt for Lottie over the past days and the fact that she was growing bigger with child every day.

He turned onto his side after a moment and just watched her sleep. She looked fine. She claimed to be fine every time he asked her. But how could she be after such an altercation with her parents – the two people in the world she should be able to rely on above all others.

"_The only man I can trust is you"_

It felt like a lifetime ago she had said that to him. He reached his hand carefully towards her then and placed it on the roundness of her stomach, silently promising himself that if there was a daughter growing in there that she would always be able to rely on him as her father. He would never let a daughter of his, nor a son for that matter, feel the way that Lottie did. Unloved. Unwanted. How could anyone not want her? She was wonderful. He glanced towards the window then and saw that dawn was breaking, a heavy sigh leaving him as he knew he would have to wake her. They were leaving today, the tourney had come to an end the night before and he wanted his wife home before the winter truly did arrive.

Regretfully he moved himself closer to her and pressed a kiss to her forehead, feeling her brow crease beneath his lips. She stirred then and he pulled back to see her eyelids fluttering open, her lips tugging into a small smile as she blinked sleepily at him. She looked so utterly adorable that he couldn't help but place another kiss to her forehead and she let out a sigh of contentment.

"Have I slept too long?" she said, her voice thick with sleep, "Will we be going soon?"

"It's dawn," he told her softly, "you have time enough to get ready, we will leave after we break our fast"

"I cannot wait to be back at Winterfell," she told him honestly.

"Neither can I," he agreed, smiling down on her.

* * *

Lottie glanced around as they broke their fast, the dining hall was crammed full of people – most of whom would be travelling back to the North. She caught sight of Sansa then and smiled at the slight blush on her face, knowing exactly what had put it there. Harrion Karstark was sat a few places down from her and she had been increasingly flustered in his presence ever since he had won the hand to hand combat and named her Queen of Grace and Goodness. She turned to give Robb a knowing look then but his eyes were firmly fixed elsewhere and she followed his line of sight to see her mother and father sat in the furthest corner of the room. Her hand sought his then and squeezed it reassuringly. He turned to her then and smiled although his eyes were searching. She wished he would stop, she had said all she needed to say and felt so much better now. She knew she had probably worried him with her hysterics and her outburst but now it was done she just felt free. Like she had finally been unshackled from the invisible chains.

"Pay them no mind," she murmured to him, "we will be leaving soon enough"

"Aye," he muttered, his eyes narrowing as he glanced towards them.

"It's done with Robb," Lottie stressed and he sighed heavily before turning to look at her.

"I know," he smiled again and she frowned slightly, something was slightly off about him.

"What's wrong?" she asked him, her frown deepening.

"Nothing," he tried to sound soothing but it did nothing to placate her.

"Robb …" she began warningly and he sighed heavily.

"I dreamt of Roslin last night," he confessed quietly and she increased her pressure on his hand.

"Do you want to tell me about it?" she asked him just as quietly and he shook his head.

"No," he assured her, "truly I'm fine … it's just been a while since she's crept up on me"

"I still dream of Lyndon sometimes," she told him then, "I know our feelings weren't the same but it is still strange"

"Do you ever wake and think he is lying next to you?" Robb asked her then.

"I would be rather surprised if I did," she snorted, "Lyndon did not often share my bed"

"I do not wish to speak ill of the dead but he was a damn fool," he told her and she smiled slightly.

"All men have their vices … his was women," she said and he frowned.

"And what's mine?" he asked her.

"Your inability to stop worrying," she said and he managed a proper smile.

"I suppose it could be worse," he said.

"It could," she agreed, "but could you try worrying about someone other than me for a change?"

"I can try," he smiled, "but I cannot promise I will succeed."

* * *

Robb had gone to a final meeting with Stannis before they were due to depart and everyone was hoping that Stannis would finally have Sansa's annulment. In his absence he had asked Catelyn to keep an eye on Lottie but the girl seemed to have vanished and she was frantically pacing the hallways of Winterfell looking for her. She had just rounded yet another corner when a voice called out and stopped her.

"Lady Stark!"

"Yes?" she said, turning to see who had hailed her and seeing a woman she did not recognise.

"Lady Anabel Morvay," the woman introduced herself and Catelyn tried not to narrow her eyes.

"Lottie's mother I presume," she said curtly and she saw the woman falter.

"My daughter has mentioned me then," Lady Morvay said, trying to keep her own tone light.

"Very little," Catelyn said drily, "which speaks volumes in my mind"

"Whatever do you mean Lady Stark?" she asked innocently.

"Lottie may not speak of you but my son does," Catelyn snapped, "what do you want?"

"I merely wanted to ask if you would take care of my daughter," Lady Morvay simpered, "as I cannot be with her, she needs a mother figure"

"Yes she does," Catelyn snorted, "the Gods know she never had one in you, it's a marvel she has turned out so well with such a hateful mother"

"How dare you?!" she gasped, her façade beginning to slip, "Whatever my daughter has told you is a lie! She always was one to make up stories!"

"No doubt she had to spin tales for herself, I don't suppose you were the type to read bedtime stories," Catelyn said scathingly.

"I do not think I have done anything to justify such an attack on my good name!" Lady Morvay said.

"What I don't understand is how you could leave your only child to suffer the death of her son alone, how you could leave her at the mercy of those who wished her nothing but ill," Catelyn said calmly.

"Charlotte …" she started.

"Wanted her mother," Catelyn snapped, "you know I would die for any one of my children … I think you would sit back and watch your daughter suffer a thousand deaths and say nothing"

"You go too far …" she said.

"I don't think I have gone nearly far enough – the sooner Lottie is back in the North and away from your poison the better. I think she would be glad never to hear your name uttered again," Catelyn shot at her.

Lady Morvay snapped then, all thoughts of keeping calm and talking Catelyn round flew from her mind and she raised her hand to slap the woman. Catelyn gasped at the sting before she raised her own hand and slapped the hateful woman back twice as hard.

"Twice in a week mother … you don't seem to be earning many friends," Lottie's voice sounded then and the two turned to see her gliding down the corridor.

"I was looking for you," Catelyn said then.

"Well now you've found me, is it time to leave?" Lottie asked, ignoring her mother's gaze.

"Almost … Robb is just seeing Stannis once more," Catelyn informed her.

"About Sansa's annulment?" Lottie inquired, taking her good-mother's arm and leading her away from her mother.

"I do hope so," Catelyn said, "Stannis did promise to make the High Septon see sense"

"From what I have seen he will more than likely have managed it," Lottie soothed as they ambled down the hallway.

"Charlotte!" her mother called.

"Ignore her," Lottie muttered, quickening their pace a little.

"Charlotte!" she was closer now but still Lottie didn't turn.

"Hopefully Robb will be finished in his meeting by now," Catelyn said lightly.

"I do hope so," Lottie returned.

"Charlotte!"

This time she could ignore it no longer and she stopped and turned to send her mother a withering look as she flew towards them. Whatever it was she had to say Lottie didn't want to hear it. Her mother could drop to her knees and beg her forgiveness but she would not thaw. She refused. She didn't want anything more to do with her. She had said what she had to the other day, she had exorcised her demons and she didn't want her mother summoning them back.

"Charlotte please," she whispered.

"I have nothing to say to you, and you can say nothing I would want to hear," Lottie said coldly.

"Charlotte …"

"I'm going home," Lottie snapped.

"Your home is with me," she said and Lottie couldn't help but laugh.

"You're delusional," Lottie said dismissively.

"Perhaps … perhaps I could have been better … when Arthur died I could have …" her mother started.

"Don't you say his name!" she hissed, "Don't you ever say his name! You don't deserve to utter it – you cared about him as much as you cared for me!"

"I am sorry for your loss!" her mother cried.

"Too little, too late mother," Lottie said coldly before she turned on her heel.

"Charlotte please!" she called after her but her steps didn't falter as Catelyn quickened her own steps to catch up with her and take hold of her arm again.

Her mother didn't call out again and Lottie didn't look back.

* * *

Robb looked up slightly suspiciously as his mother and Lottie arrived in the entrance hall arm in arm. He ought to be glad, he had the annulment of Sansa's marriage from Stannis and now they would begin their journey back to Winterfell. His mother looked uneasy though and the fact that Lottie was smiling brightly at her side only served to heighten his suspicions.

"Did Stannis give you what you want?" Lottie asked him before he could say anything.

"He did," he confirmed.

"Oh thank the Gods!" Lady Stark exclaimed, "Have you told her?"

"I have," Robb nodded, a smile on his face, "she is most happy"

"Good," Catelyn breathed, "I will go and find her …"

"Are you alright?" Robb asked his wife then once his mother had walked away.

"Fine," she said brightly, "but ready to go home"

"Me too," he smiled, bending his head to lightly peck her lips.

As if on cue the cry came through to those assembled that the northern party was ready to depart, Lottie took Robb's arm at once and they walked in step out of the keep. There were hundreds of people in the courtyard, some just there to wave them off, some of the towns folk standing on their toes and craning their necks for a glimpse of royalty. Robb carefully helped Lottie up onto her horse and tried to ignore his unease of her riding now her stomach was growing big. She had assured him it would be fine – that she had ridden up until the month before Arthur's birth. His mother had agreed that she and the baby wouldn't be at any risk and so he had reluctantly agreed. At least with her riding they would get back to Winterfell more quickly.

Robb hauled himself up onto his own horse then and glanced about him, noticing as he did so that Sansa was riding at the side of Harrion and the two were absorbed in conversation again. He sighed rather heavily then, something told him he may need to speak with Lord Karstark about organising a wedding on the way home. He would speak with his mother and Sansa first but he was almost certain that his sister was ready to marry again. When he was satisfied that everyone was up and ready he gave the call to move out, kicking his horse into action and waving to those who shouted out greetings and well wishes towards him and Lottie. He was so proud of his wife, but more than a little worried. The people had clamoured for her, all speaking of her beauty and her kindness – all but her parents. He couldn't be sure but he had a feeling she may have had another run in with them whilst he was speaking with Stannis. As they rode under the gates he turned to look at her, seeing her expression was smooth and untroubled. He bit his lip slightly before asking her.

"I don't suppose you saw any more of your parents?"

"Actually … I saw my mother earlier," she told him and he raised his brows.

"And?" he pressed.

"And she was as charming as ever … please don't dwell on it Robb – I'm not," she said firmly.

"So long as you're alright," he said quietly.

"I told you … I am perfectly well," she promised him and he managed a smile for her.

* * *

Robb left Lottie alone in their room to bathe that night when they stopped to rest at an inn. Instead he went in search of his mother to ask her about Lottie's encounter with her mother. It wasn't that he didn't trust his wife, he just needed to know that her mother hadn't done anything to harm her. He didn't want to push her on it because he knew she hated it, but he had to know. To his surprise his mother told him how composed Lottie had been and that it had been herself and Lady Morvay who had had the altercation. His mother hadn't been sure how much Lottie had witnessed but she did not seem upset by it. Robb was placated by that, his mother seemed to think that it had been the best thing for Lottie to see her mother again and finally rid herself of her demons. Gods he hoped she had. She had enough fear in her from being with child without her cold-hearted mother added to her torment. He thanked his mother before he left her before almost running back up to his and Lottie's room.

When he entered she was sat by the fire, her long blonde hair falling over the back of the chair and glinting beautifully in the light of the flames. She didn't turn at his entrance and he noted that she was sewing as he unfastened his doublet and tossed it aside before sitting on the edge of the bed to unlace his boots.

"Are you alright?" he asked her as he tugged one of them off.

"Do you know how many times you've asked me that today?" she returned in an amused manner.

"What are you sewing?" he inquired instead.

"You had a tear in one of your shirts," she replied and he watched her stitch for a long moment.

"Thank you," he finally said, moving to pull off his other boot.

"You're welcome," she said before finally setting it aside, "it's all fixed up"

"Thank you," he said again as she rose up from her chair and walked towards him.

"I'm fine Robb," she promised him, her hands coming to rest on his shoulders.

"I know you are," he sighed, running his own hands up and down her arms, "I've been badgering you, I know I have"

"And I know it's only because you care," she breathed back and he tugged her forwards lightly.

She smiled knowingly at his action, moving her hands from his shoulders to the tie of her robe, undoing it slowly as Robb loosened his shirt and pulled it over his head. Gods, she could still not get enough of how perfect he looked naked. He stood then and began unlacing his breeches and she shrugged her robe away before loosening the ties of her nightdress. When it fell to the floor Robb's eyes roamed her body hungrily and she almost felt like blushing under his intense gaze. She had been worried that he would no longer desire her as she began to grow bigger with child but his want had not been satiated. He kicked his breeches away and she stepped towards him as he moved his arms out to grab her to him, their bodies crushing together.

Robb let his lips kiss at her shoulder, his hands running the length of her back and running over her bottom as her own smoothed over his shoulders and down his strong arms. He pulled her back towards the bed then and she went all too willingly, her own lips finding his rough jawline and peppering it with kisses. Robb fumbled behind him to pull back the covers of the bed then, knowing they ought to be under the sheets – even with the fire roaring in the room there was still a chill in the air. Regretfully he pulled a short way away from Lottie and turned her gently, encouraging her into the bed. She slipped beneath the covers and furs and he was with her in an instant, pulling them around them as he made his way between her legs, his hands roaming along her hips and then trailing up towards her breasts. Lottie let out a breathy sigh of satisfaction as he lavished attention on her chest, his lips kissing her stomach for a moment before he trailed them up the valley of her breasts and up towards her throat before he claimed her own.

She kissed him slowly and he pressed his body as close to hers as he dared as she knotted her hands in his hair to anchor him in place. Her legs shifted then, her thighs riding high on his waist as she wrapped them around him. He let one of his hands wander down to stroke the smooth skin of her upper thigh as he shifted his body again, pressing his hardness against her. She rocked her hips upwards then and he smiled against her lips at her willing, moving his own hips forwards so he could finally join them as one. Their kiss deepened then, and he could feel her hum of pleasure at the back of her throat as he began to thrust slowly into her. He braced himself, resisting the urge to quicken his movements, knowing he had to be gentle with her now she was pregnant. Not that he minded the slow pace, it meant he could savour every moment, savour every inch of her and how wonderful she was.

Lottie rocked her own hips to meet his slow pace as their lips continued moving together, his hand still on her thigh, the other by her side so he didn't crush her as she let her own hands run down his back, causing him to arch further into her. Never before had they managed to be this restrained and Lottie knew he was doing it now because she was pregnant. She couldn't complain though, it still felt so good being joined with him like this as they continued their slow motion. Robb could feel it as she began to reach her height and he let his lips finally move from hers and travel down to her neck as her breathing became more laboured. He encouraged her thigh up higher then and thrust even more deeply, a cry leaving her mouth at his motion, her nails digging into the skin of his back. One more thrust and she was helpless, crashing down around him as pleasure consumed her, a soft moan leaving her mouth as he continued on to his own end.

When Robb was spent he shifted himself carefully, making sure she was still entirely covered in blankets and furs as he moved to her side. She rolled over and pressed himself to her side then, her leg thrown over his and her hand seeking his chest as he let one of his own hands settle on the small of her back, the other coming to rest on her stomach. For a long minute they said nothing, the only sound in the room was their ragged breathing as they both came down from their dizzying heights. After a while Lottie lifted her head from his chest and shifted herself slightly so she could kiss him again. When she finally pulled away Robb smiled at her as she gazed into his eyes.

"Are you warm enough?" he asked her quietly.

"I always am in your arms," she replied and his smile widened for a moment.

"I love you," he told her as she settled herself back down against his chest again.

"I love you too," she told him sleepily and he wrapped his arms more securely around her.

* * *

"_Can you imagine Robb? A little Prince or Princess with your blue eyes!"_

"_Or your dark eyes," he countered her, running his hand through her hair._

"_My eyes are boring," she told him, "yours are so beautiful"_

"_Your eyes are not boring," he replied "they are the very thing that drew me to you"_

"_Truly?" she asked him sceptically, lifting her head to look at him, a small frown creasing her brow._

"_Truly," he confirmed, holding her gaze, "a man could drown in your eyes"_

"_Robb …" she scolded him, but he could see the delighted blush on her cheeks. _

"_I only speak the truth," he breathed and she smiled that smile at him._

"_I still want the baby to have your eyes," she told him, "I want a son in the very image of his father"_

"_Then I pray the Gods give you what you want," he whispered, tugging her down to claim her lips. _

A shout from the men roused him and he started, blinking slightly stupidly as he looked out into the distance to see the Twins looming up. He looked to Lottie then and saw she was looking at him in concern, he forced a smile for her and looked away, trying to bury his feelings of guilt. He had been thinking of Roslin more and more and he could only assume that it was because they had almost reached her home, her resting place. The last time they had been here he had managed to find some kind of peace and solace at her graveside but this time he felt only unease and dread and he couldn't understand why. He tried to push the memory away from him as he glanced towards Lottie again who was thankfully looking elsewhere, letting his gaze linger on the roundness of her stomach.

Gods he hoped their baby wouldn't have his blue eyes.

He felt guilty then for even thinking that. What did it matter what colour the baby's eyes were? He would love it just the same no matter what, wouldn't he? He pushed down the unease again, he didn't want these horrible feelings and uncertainties creeping up on him. It didn't matter. So long as the baby was healthy it didn't matter. That's what he kept telling himself over and over as the Twins loomed larger and larger in front of him.

* * *

**A/N: **We're back at the Twins next chapter and there may be a surprise for Robb!

Thoughts on this would be lovely.

More soon!

:)


	22. XXII

**A/N: **Hey guys! New chapters up, hope you haven't been too worried about Robb's surprise!

**Aga:** You're right, the story is Robb/Lottie so any thoughts and interactions between Sansa/Harrion will likely come from them or Cat (so glad you like my version of her - I love writing her!) I feel I've come too far writing the fic this way now and I don't want to suddenly start writing loads from Sansa's perspective. I'm glad you enjoyed her pairing in PTT, her pairing in this won't be as detailed but it won't be ignored! Hope you're not disappointed!

Anyway! Onwards to Robb's surprise! Please let me know what you think.

:)

* * *

**XXII**

* * *

Walder Frey came hurrying down the steps of the keep as fast as his aged body would carry him, his face a picture of determination as his eyes sought Robb's. As soon as Robb met them he was down off his horse and hurrying towards his former good-father, leaving Olyvar to help Lottie from her own mount. He knew just from his face that Walder had news for him but he couldn't tell whether it would be good or bad.

"Your Grace!" Walder bowed shortly.

"My Lord," Robb returned distractedly.

"We have him," Walder said then and Robb stared at him.

"Are you certain?" he managed to whisper after a long moment.

"I have had men confirm it … of course, your Grace is welcome to have your own men look at him, but I am satisfied," Walder told him.

"Has he confessed?" Robb asked him.

"Not yet," Walder said and Robb saw the look in his eye and nodded slowly.

"Take me to him," he said then.

"Robb!" his mother called out and he turned.

"Not now mother, I have important things to attend to," he said.

"More important than your wife?" she hissed at him so no one else would hear.

"You take care of her," he said with finality, "if they have the man that killed Roslin I want to see him"

"Robb …" she began again but he held up his hand.

"You take care of her," he repeated before turning back to Walder Frey, "take me to him"

Walder nodded then and turned to lead him away. Robb beckoned his own men who had witnessed Roslin's death to follow him and they did as he bid. He caught sight of Lottie as he did so and saw her looking confused. Guilt stabbed at him then but he forced it down, he would explain everything to her later and until then his mother was more than capable of filling her in. As he turned back to follow Walder he caught Olyvar's eye and nodded to him, his good-brother immediately coming to fall into step with him as they followed Walder down into the prison.

Robb took a deep breath as they walked down the rows of cells to the end where a man was hanging in chains. He didn't look to have been too badly harmed and from the way his head was moving around and taking in his new visitors Robb imagined that Walder had so far restrained from touching him. He glanced to the old man then and gave him a grateful nod, Robb wanted a confession from a man who still had his senses, not one who had been tortured into madness.

"Well?" he asked his men then and three of them stepped forwards to look at him.

"I can't be certain your Grace," the first man said and he nodded his thanks.

"I believe it could be him your Grace," the second said and again he nodded.

"It was him your Grace, I recognise the scar," the third said.

"Thank you," Robb said quietly, his own eyes going to the scar that ran down the man's cheek.

"That's how my men recognised him," Walder told him and he nodded.

"Were you part of a Lannister raiding party who set upon a northern camp?" Robb asked the chained man then.

"Might be I was," he said and Robb swallowed hard.

"You burned tents … killed men … killed my wife," Robb stated then and the man stared at him.

"I never killed no woman," he said, shaking his head.

"You took the life of the Queen in the North," Robb snarled.

"You got a new one didn't you?" the man said then and Robb's fists clenched so hard at his sides that it was almost painful.

"Let him down," he said in a dangerously low voice and two Frey men moved to do as he bid.

Robb felt the hatred coursing through him as he watched the man being unshackled, once he was loose the man that had killed his wife, the man who had snuffed out the life of his wife and child looked up to meet his eyes. In that instant Robb knew that it was him. In the next instant he had flown at him. He hit out with his fists, with his feet. He punched and kicked at the man, swatting away his feeble attempts to fight him off. The bastard may have known how to swing a mace but he had no chance of holding Robb off – not now when he was being driven by pure fury and hate. Grey Wind snarled behind him but made no move to get involved with his master's fight and Robb was glad of it. This was his to do.

When the man fell to the floor bleeding Robb finally managed to stop, his breathing ragged and his knuckles bloody as he stared down at the man who coughed feebly. No one uttered a word, all of them seemingly holding their breath and waiting for Robb's next move. Olyvar twitched slightly behind his King, his own hands balled into fists but he made no move to take over Robb's assault even though he was itching to.

"You killed her," Robb said then, his voice shaking with rage.

"I killed her," the man agreed quietly and Robb somehow managed to restrain himself.

"Do what you want with him," he addressed Walder Frey then, "just make sure his heart is still beating come morning so I can take his worthless head."

* * *

Lottie couldn't concentrate on her sewing as she sat in one of the parlours with Catelyn. Her good-mother kept looking at her in concern but she kept her own eyes on the blanket she was making for the baby, putting in a stitch every now and again. It would be wonderful when she finished it and so warm. She was working on sewing a layer of soft, grey fur onto the thick, white woollen blanket and once that was done she would stitch a direwolf into the corner. Her baby would be snug and warm all bundled up in it and that's what Lottie wanted more than anything, her baby all happy and content in her arms, oblivious to the cold outside.

She didn't usually think about when the baby came but as her stomach grew bigger and the movements inside her became more insistent she couldn't help it and right now thinking about the baby was preferable to thinking about her husband. Robb still hadn't returned from the prison and she shuddered to think what he would be unleashing on the man who had killed Roslin. Not that he didn't deserve it, but she didn't want him to do anything that he would come to regret. Robb was against torture – he didn't allow it to happen in the prisons of Winterfell but she imagined that he might make an exception on this occasion. She looked up at Catelyn then, finally meeting her concerned gaze and the older woman sighed heavily.

"I had thought he would be back by now," she confessed.

"So did I," Lottie agreed quietly.

"It's not fair to leave you to worry like this," Catelyn said irritably then.

"I'm fine," Lottie promised her, "I just hope that he is"

"I don't know what he might be like these next days," Catelyn said then, "please don't hold it against him if he is distant"

"I wouldn't," she assured her, "I am secure enough in our marriage to let him have time to come to terms with this in his own way"

"I didn't think it at the time," Catelyn began, "but thank the Gods for you … you're the very thing he needs"

"Thank you Catelyn," Lottie smiled at her and her good-mother returned it happily.

Before she could say any more though the door to the parlour opened and Robb finally strode in. Lottie turned her own head then and could practically feel the tension and anger rolling from his body, her eyes sliding to his fists at his side and seeing the blood on his knuckles. Catelyn noticed then too and she seemed to stiffen in her chair, instantly wary. She had seen Robb at his very worst and the last thing she needed was this to pull him back down into that hell. He couldn't descend back down into that depression now, not now when he had a wife and an unborn child to think about.

"Robb …" she began tentatively then and he turned his eyes on her.

"Could you leave us please mother," he said and she hesitated, glancing at Lottie who nodded her head slightly to her.

"I'll not be far away if you need me," she said, her eyes drifting again to Lottie.

She made for the door then and both Robb and Lottie watched her progress, their eyes only moving to find one another's when she had closed the door behind her. Lottie was unsure whether to say anything then or wait for him to speak. He made no move to come further into the room or to come and sit with her and so she took a deep breath before deciding she would have to say something.

"Is it him?" she asked him quietly and he nodded.

"It's him," he confirmed, his voice low and cold, "he confessed"

"I see," she said carefully and he took a few steps closer to her.

"He'll die tomorrow," he told her and she nodded.

"Good," she said, "I'm glad that you have him … that you'll finally have justice for her"

"It won't bring her back though will it?" he said shortly and she looked away from him.

"No," she whispered, trying not to feel hurt at his harsh words. He had her now, he said he loved her but still he wanted her back.

Robb sighed heavily then. He shouldn't have said that. He'd hurt her feelings. One thing he had never wanted to do was make Lottie feel like she was second best. He had loved Roslin, he still did but she was gone, she wasn't his wife any more. Lottie was. Lottie was his present and his future and he loved her, he loved her so much but being at the Twins and seeing the man who had taken Roslin's life brought all manner of emotions bubbling up to the surface.

"I didn't mean it like that," he said quietly then and Lottie nodded, still not looking at him.

"It's alright," she said, her hand trembling slightly as she placed another stitch into the blanket.

"No it isn't," he sighed, "you know I love you don't you?"

"Of course I do," she said, forcing her voice to come out more brightly.

"Is this for the baby?" he asked her, coming to kneel before her.

"Yes," she said, working another stitch in, still not able to meet his eyes.

"They will be snug indeed," he complimented her and she finally looked up.

"I understand Robb," she told him, "I always have … but … I'm here and I'm real and I have your baby growing inside me"

"I know you do," he whispered.

"And I know you know how hard it is for me some days … especially now when it moves so often … and I know we both have our dark days …" she continued.

"I think this is my darkest," he confessed and she nodded, reaching out to take his hand.

"Don't shut me out," she whispered, "I know what you're like … you don't want to risk upsetting me … but it will upset me more if you close yourself off from me"

"I won't," he promised, meeting her eyes and she managed a small smile.

"Good," she said, "now let's get you cleaned up"

He managed a smile of his own then as she squeezed his hand reassuringly before rising up from her chair and walking to the door. He watched her go before he rose back to his own feet, pacing up and down a few times before settling in a chair. As he waited for her to return he thought about her words. She was far more understanding that he had any right to expect her to be and he silently promised himself that once that murdering bastard was dead he would truly lay Roslin to rest. He had loved her so much but Lottie was right, she was real and here and soon they would share a baby, a little life that was half him and half her. It could have been so different but this was his reality and he was happy – beyond happy – with Lottie. He had never expected to feel anything for another woman, let alone fall in love with another woman but he had and he needed to let Roslin go and focus on his future with Lottie.

He would never forget Roslin, nor the time they had together but he had Lottie now. He had Lottie and he needed to prove to her that she would never be second best. As he resolved himself to that the door opened again and she came in carrying what he assumed was a bowl of warm water. She smiled slightly at him as she crossed the room and lay the bowl at his feet before kneeling in front of him. He gave her one of his hands as she reached out for him and she squeezed the excess water from the cloth that was floating in the water before bringing it to clean his bloody knuckles. She cleansed his skin gently, not saying a word but the silence was crushing Robb.

"You're not second best," he told her as she continued washing the blood away, "you never have been … you're not her but I don't want you to be. You're wonderful and I love you for who you are – I never wanted you as a replacement, I wanted you as a fresh start, a new beginning. I love you Lottie … I love everything about you … please don't ever feel like I am comparing you to her because I swear to you I never have and I never will …"

Lottie swallowed hard then, dropping his cleaned hand and taking his other as she blinked rather rapidly to stop the tears from falling. Robb's words had touched her, reassured her beyond belief. She had never needed his assurance about his feelings before. She had never considered that she may be second best until today and his promise that she wasn't had come at just the right time.

"I love you," she finally managed to say as she ran the cloth over his other hand, "thank you"

When she was finished she let the cloth drop back into the bowl and looked up to see him gazing intently at her. She managed a real smile then and she saw the relief flash in the deep blue of his eyes. He tugged on her hand then and she rose to her feet, coming to settle in his lap as he tugged her gently towards him. Robb wrapped his arms around her then, one of his hands coming to settle on her stomach, one of her own coming to lay on top of his. He rested his head down against her shoulder then and she moved her own to lay on top of his.

"Did the baby just move?" he asked her after several minutes of quiet.

"Yes," she confirmed, "did you feel it?"

"I definitely felt something," he said wonderingly and she smiled.

"It is rather an insistent little thing," she told him and it was his turn to smile.

"A hardy little Stark," he chuckled slightly, "no doubt they will give us plenty of trouble"

"I hope so," she said slightly sadly and he pulled her a little closer to him.

"I will always be here for you," he vowed fiercely and she clenched her hand around his tightly.

"I know you will," she said, "and that brings me more strength than you could ever imagine."

* * *

Robb couldn't sleep, he had tried. He curled himself up around Lottie and breathed in the comforting scent of her as she had fallen asleep in his arms but his own eyes had stayed open. He just lay there and smoothed his hand over the roundness of her stomach wondering at the soft nudges he felt against his palm every now and again. Feeling her in his arms, feeling their baby move had calmed him immensely but still he had been unable to close his eyes. Eventually he had got himself up and out of bed. At first he had paced up and down the room but there was a creaking floorboard that would make Lottie stir in her sleep every time he tread on it and he had ceased his action. He may be in for a sleepless night but his wife needed all the rest she could get and he would not compromise her health. After that he had just sat in a chair and stared. At what he didn't know but his eyes still didn't grow any heavier.

It was the dead of night now, still hours before the dawn and he could see through the crack in the drapes that the sky was pitch black. He wondered if any stars were shining. He stood then, avoiding the creaking floorboard as he walked to the window and pulled back the drape slightly so he could look out. His thought had been right, there were no stars and no moon. It was just black. Crushing darkness. He thought of Roslin then despite himself. She hadn't been afraid of the dark as such but on nights like this she felt unnerved by the consuming darkness and would always ask Robb to leave a lantern burning low so she could get to sleep. He had always obliged her even though he himself found it difficult to sleep with a light still distracting him. He never complained though, her being happy was worth taking a little more time to close his eyes.

The guilt was coming again now as he glanced back to the bed to see Lottie still sleeping soundly. He didn't want to let her down. He didn't want her to wake up in the morning and find him gone, knowing that she would worry, but the thought of Roslin out there on her own on a night like this was nagging at him. Eventually he moved, pulling on a warm doublet and lacing up his boots before he pulled a cloak and furs about him before moving as quietly as he could towards the door. The keep was silent as he made his way through it, the only sound the light padding of his footsteps as he made his way down to the entrance hall. Thankfully the doors were unlocked and he opened one just enough so he could slip outside into the cold night air. He shivered slightly as he began his walk across the courtyard and through the gate that led to the gardens.

When he reached her he knelt down next to her and pulled his furs closer about him. He was willing to bet that the snows would have begun falling by now and he vaguely wondered if they would have reached Winterfell by now. He hoped they wouldn't have. They could fall and fall hard for all he cared – so long as he had Lottie safely back before they did. He sighed rather heavily as he thought of her still sleeping up in their chambers, the stab of guilt needling his gut. He couldn't leave Roslin alone on such a night though. As he thought that he properly took in her graveside and noticed that a lantern had been placed next to her headstone. It had fallen onto its side, no doubt pushed over by the wind and the flame extinguished. Oddly he felt a sense of relief. Obviously he wasn't the only one who remembered that she hated these nights. Someone, perhaps her father or one of her siblings, had come out and left her a light. The knowledge of that actually made him smile as he reached out to trace his fingers across her name.

Last time he came he had spoken to her, he had told her about Lottie and finally found himself feeling some kind of peace. As angry as he had been earlier in the day he was feeling the same sort of peace now as he sat there, his fingers tracing her name over and over. That ache that had consumed him for so long was dulled now to the point where he barely felt it any more. He knew it was Lottie that had mended his broken heart and he wondered if he would ever be able to find the words to tell her exactly how important she was to him. Her kindness, her understanding, her love had all driven him to this point where he could sit at perfect peace by Roslin's grave. In a few short hours he would have his justice for her, he would send the man who had put her here to the seven hells and then it would finally be over. He would be able to look forwards without the lingering sense that he had unfinished business. When that man was dead both he had Roslin could truly be at peace.

* * *

Lottie was brushing her hair through calmly when he went back up to their rooms. He had stayed at Roslin's side until dawn before coming back to the keep. On his way back he had run into Walder Frey and had asked him to prepare the murderer for his final journey into the courtyard. The sooner it was over with the sooner they could leave. Robb didn't want any more delays, he wanted Lottie and their baby home at Winterfell where they would be warm and safe and secure. His wife looked up and smiled at him as he came in and he instantly felt relaxed. He had been tense for the whole walk back, thinking of that man and thinking that Lottie would have woken to find him gone and be worrying herself.

"You're up early," she commented as he sat heavily in a chair.

"I didn't sleep," he told her honestly.

"I didn't think you would," she sighed slightly, sending him a small smile in the mirror.

"I've asked Lord Frey to bring him up from the prison, the sooner it is done the sooner we can be on our way," Robb told her and she nodded.

"Will you do it?" she asked.

"Yes," he said calmly and she nodded again.

"I suppose you want me to stay away?" she smiled knowingly and he returned it.

"It will save me worrying," he said.

"I will pack our things away while you're out there," she said.

"Thank you," he replied.

"It's nothing," she smiled.

"Not just for that … for everything," he said meaningfully and she nodded again before rising up from the vanity.

She said nothing as she moved quietly about the room and began to gather up their things that had been scattered everywhere despite them only having been at the Twins for one night. He watched her for a while, noting how she left the blanket she was working on out. Doubtless when he returned he would find her sewing and he smiled slightly, already conjuring up the image in his mind. She always looked so serene and beautiful when she was absorbed in her needlework. Sometimes he would sit with her and pretend to read, all the while just gazing over the top of his book and taking in the perfect image of her. When the bell chimed once he knew the man was being led out and he rose to his feet as Lottie turned her head to look at him. She said nothing and neither did he. She just gave him an encouraging nod and a smile and he did his best to return her gesture before he made his way out of their chambers.

Robb stopped for no one as he made his way through the keep and out into the courtyard. Walder nodded to him as he emerged and he bobbed his own head back. He saw Olyvar out there with a hard look in his eyes, along with several more of Roslin's siblings. Some of her sisters looked to be crying and Robb avoided letting his eyes settle on them, moving his gaze instead to the prison where the murderer was being led out. He seemed unable to walk unaided and Robb tried not to imagine what the Frey's had unleashed upon him. He deserved it of course he did and Robb had not wanted to deny Walder the chance to punish the man who had murdered his daughter. If he had been able, Robb had no doubt that the old man would have requested he be the one to swing the sword. Robb wasn't sure if he would have been able to oblige him though, he was desperate to do this himself.

As the man was pushed down to his knees and held in place by two guards Robb stepped forwards and took his father's old great-sword, Ice, from Olyvar and weighed it in his hands for a moment. He had yet to use the Valyrian steel, he had decided when Stannis had returned it to him that he would only use it if he truly needed to. In battle he preferred his own sword that had been made to his specific requirements. Now it felt like the right time to use Ice though as he stepped towards the condemned man. He took a deep breath before saying his next words, part of him just wanting to remain silent and just let the final blow fall. He had to utter them though, it was only proper.

"I, Robb Stark, Lord of Winterfell and King in the North sentence you to die, do you have any final words?"

The man said nothing, his head shaking slightly from side to side and Robb took a deep breath and raised Ice. He thought of Roslin then as he brought the sword sweeping through the air. He thought of her smile, of the spring in her step and the way she laughed. He thought of every single perfect moment that they had spent together as the steel cut easily though the man's neck. His head fell to the stones with a muffled thump and Robb turned away from him, not wishing to lay eyes on the bastard again – dead or not. Olyvar's eyes were dry but distracted as Robb handed Ice back to him. He said nothing to his former good-brother. He said nothing to anyone as he walked purposefully back towards the keep. Grey Wind fell into step with him as he crossed the courtyard and he allowed his hand to rest on his faithful wolf's great head. Through the numbness he was starting to feel again now. He was starting to feel peace.

* * *

**A/N: **Hope you enjoyed that! I'm working on the next chapter so hopefully I will have it for you by the end of the week.

:)


	23. XXIII

**A/N: **Hey guys! Apologies - this was meant to be up yesterday but my day ran away with me! Here it is anyway.

As ever I'd love to know what you think so drop me a review if you would be so kind!

:)

* * *

**XXIII**

* * *

"Sansa will naturally want to be married at Winterfell," Robb said.

"Naturally your Grace," Lord Karstark agreed with a nod of his head.

"And with winter gripping us it would be unwise to delay," Robb continued.

"You suggest the wedding take place on our return?" Lord Karstark asked him.

"Aye," Robb nodded, "if both parties are willing … once the ceremony is done you can continue on home to Karhold"

"And wait out this winter," Lord Karstark grimaced.

"We can only hope it will not be as long as they fear," Robb said.

"Aye your Grace," he agreed, "at least the war is done with"

"Thank the Gods," Robb said.

"Thank the Gods," he echoed and Robb bowed his head to him, his Lord returned the gesture before Robb strode from the room they had been speaking in.

Sansa was beside herself about marrying Harrion Karstark, already spending hours discussing every detail of her wedding with their mother and Lottie. Robb was glad that she was so happy, if anyone deserved such happiness it was his sister. They had all endured hell during the war but Sansa had suffered such torment at the Capitol that Robb was surprised she even had the ability to smile anymore. Being back at Winterfell had done wonders for her, had allowed her the time she needed to heal and now she was ready to open her heart again and Robb knew she would be most happy in her marriage. Harrion was a good friend and a loyal and honourable man; he had such pride in his eyes when he gazed at Sansa and Robb was satisfied that he would defend her with his life.

He wandered easily down the hallways of the inn, they were only four days ride from Winterfell now and so far the snow was only a light dusting. Some days it fell as they rode but thankfully it was not the thick, wet flakes that would seek into everything and soak them to the bone. It was dry and powdery and easy to brush off which he was thankful for. He was tense enough about Lottie being out in the open without the constant worry that she would catch a chill. She assured him that she was perfectly well though and he believed her as he opened up the door to their room and saw her propped up against the pillows of their bed with a book resting on her rounded stomach. The smile she sent him was beautiful and he returned it easily as he moved about the room, readying himself for bed.

"Where have you been until this hour?" she asked him as he threw more wood onto the already raging fire.

"Speaking with Lord Karstark," he told her.

"Is the wedding set?" she asked.

"It will happen on our return, they don't want to linger long, the snows will be deeper along the roads to Karhold," he replied and she nodded.

He discarded his doublet then, loosening the ties on his shirt before sitting heavily on the edge of the bed and removing his boots. When he kicked them away he shifted back onto the bed and made his way under the covers to snuggle up at the side of his deliciously warm wife, his hand seeking the roundness of her stomach. She seemed to be growing bigger by the day and by the time they returned to Winterfell she would have a little under three moons to go until the baby was due to arrive. He didn't mention how quickly it was approaching though, he didn't want her to worry herself. She would be more than aware of it, doubtless counting each day, but if she wanted to talk about it then he would wait for her to bring it up. The baby moved then and he felt the nudge against his palm, he felt it more strongly now and it always brought a smile to his face.

"I swear it kicks harder every day," Lottie said then, setting her book aside.

"Growing bigger every day," he said in response and she smiled before shifting slightly so she could extinguish the lantern on the bedside table.

"There was a name in that book that I rather like," she told him then as she snuggled down next to him, their bodies curving around one another's.

"Oh?" he murmured against her hair.

"For a girl," she elaborated, "I know if we have a boy you would like to name him for your father"

"I would," he said quietly, his arms tightening slightly around her.

"Do you think he would have liked me?" she asked him curiously and he kissed the top of her head.

"I think he would have liked you very much, and doubtless admired your strength," he said.

"I'm sorry that I will never meet him," she said softly and he kissed her again.

"So am I," he sighed, "… what is this name you rather like then?" he continued.

"Hanna," she told him, waiting for his reaction, knowing he was testing it in his mind.

"Hanna," he repeated, "Hanna Stark … you know … I think I rather like it too."

* * *

The next morning they saddled up at dawn, the days were growing shorter now as winter consumed them and Robb was dead against travelling when it was dark and so they had to make the most of every precious hour of light. He helped Lottie carefully up onto her mount, watching her as she settled in the saddle and pulled up the hood of her fur lined cloak. She always assured him she was warm enough and he could see no reason why she would lie to him so he turned to his own horse and swung himself up. Around him everyone else was saddling up as well and he saw Sansa being helped up by Harrion and it brought a smile to his face. He exchanged a glance with Lottie then and saw her face was cracked into a smile as well. Sansa had ambushed her at breakfast, delighted with the news that the wedding would take place as soon as they got back.

When the last of the guards had mounted their horses Robb gave the order to move off, all of them falling into the easy pace that would get them steadily back to Winterfell. They could go faster but Robb was uncomfortable with the thought, Lottie was a good enough rider but the thought of her horse losing control or her falling filled him with dread. He would never forgive himself and so they kept on the way they were. No one complained, they weren't stupid, they knew exactly why Robb insisted on the pace they were going at. They knew exactly why he rode as close to his wife as was possible and they knew exactly why he had taken at least double the number of men that was necessary to Riverrun in the first place.

His mother rode up on Lottie's other side as they rode on through the morning and Robb smiled slightly to himself. When they had left Winterfell the relationship between them had been tentative and still a little bit strained but things could not be more different now. His mother seemed to finally understand what made Lottie so special and the two of them got on far better than he had ever dreamed of. He had hoped they would learn to tolerate one another, even be able to conduct a polite conversation but this transformation had stunned him and he imagined that the pair of them were even surprised by the shift in their relationship. His mother almost treated Lottie like a daughter now and he loved to see it.

"Sansa has her dress planned to the last detail," Lottie was saying to his mother as he pulled his mind back to them.

"Why does that not surprise me," she said back, her tone that of amusement.

"I thought … I don't know if you'll agree, that perhaps I could write out her instruction and send it ahead to the seamstress – she already has her measurements. That way the dress would be ready when we arrive and Sansa won't have to be worried about it being done in time since there will only be a few days to prepare," Lottie said then.

"That's a wonderful idea," his mother said, "if you can remember the details then you should go right ahead"

"I believe I can remember them, I will write them when we stop to water the horses, but perhaps you could ask Sansa before I send it? Then I will know I've not forgotten anything," she said.

"It would be my pleasure," his mother smiled and Lottie beamed back at her.

* * *

Seeing Sansa and Harrion together was like watching a tale of a Princess and a gallant knight come to life. From the moment he had won the tourney Lottie had seen it begin and it had just grown before her eyes. It made her smile that her good-sister had found some happiness after all the torment she had had to endure and she knew that Robb felt the same. It would be strange without her though once they were married and off to Karhold to wait out the winter. Lottie imagined she would be spending a lot of time writing to Sansa as she would miss her terribly. Still, she deserved her happiness and Lottie would never begrudge her it. She tore her eyes away from the pair of them then as a serving girl came before her to hand her a bowl of food. Lottie thanked the girl and she bobbed into a curtsey before scurrying away.

They were close to Winterfell now, one more day of riding and they would be back behind the walls where they would stay until the snows melted away and the sprouts of spring began to bloom. They had to stay tonight out in the open though and Robb was as tense as ever he was on the rare occasions they had to do this. He was worse now because he had winter and Lottie being so big with child to think about as well as the threat from hostile folk. Lottie imagined they would be fine here though, they were deep into the North and Robb had set a perimeter around the camp that she imagined no one would be foolish enough to try and breech. Still, she imagined she would be spending the night wrapped up in furs instead of her husband. He always sat outside the tent, always watching and never sleeping. He would appear any moment she just knew it, the sun had sank down and he would want her inside and safely bundled up. It didn't matter that she was perfectly warm sat next to the bonfire the men had built up with a fur blanket across her knees and a steaming bowl of broth in her hands. Robb would want her inside and the knowledge of that made her simultaneously want to sigh heavily and smile.

He was so attentive. Over-attentive some might say but he had his reasons and Lottie had promised him and promised herself that she would always be understanding of him. He had been calmer since the Twins – Lottie had been wary for a few days, thinking that at any moment he might snap, might grow distant or sink down into a black mood. He hadn't though, he had put all his focus on getting them home and at night when they were in bed he would hold her so close and they would talk about their future. The baby being so close to arriving was thrilling to him but Lottie was having mixed feelings. She wanted the baby so badly to be alright, she wanted so badly for everything to be alright but feelings of dread and paranoia crept into her unconsciously and she had to fight so hard to banish them. They were at bay for the moment as she sat there enjoying her dinner with the warmth of the flames and the idle chatter licking at her skin. Right here, right now, she was content and happy and she determined to hang onto those feelings for as long as she could.

"I thought you would have retired," Robb said from above her then and she looked up at him.

"Hoped more like," she replied with a smile and he returned it rather sheepishly.

"Are you warm enough?" he asked as he dropped down next to her.

"I would have to have ice in my veins not to be warm enough," she said and he chuckled.

"Have you had enough to eat?" he asked then.

"Yes," she told him, setting her empty bowl aside, "now stop looking for things to worry about and huddle up with me for a while"

"How can I resist such a tempting command," he said teasingly, shifting himself behind her so she could lean back against his chest, his hands coming to rearrange the furs covering her legs, making sure every inch was covered. She might think him overprotective but he would do anything and everything to keep her safe and healthy no matter how much she complained about it. She had promised him when they left Winterfell that she would do everything he bid her on their trip away. He smiled slightly to himself then and wrapped his arms securely around her, his chin coming to gently rest on the top of her head. He imagined she couldn't wait to get back to Winterfell where her promise would be at an end, then he had no doubt she would defy him at every opportunity just because she could. She sighed her own contentment then and his smile widened before he placed a lingering kiss to the top of her head.

"Time for bed," Robb said after a while, hearing her trying to stifle a yawn.

"But I'm comfy here," she grumbled, snuggling herself further against him.

"You're tired, and we will be up at first light," he countered her, "you'll be comfy in bed"

"Not without you I won't," she said sulkily and he grinned.

"I'll come and lay down with you a while," he coaxed her and she finally sighed in what he knew to be agreement.

He rose up then and held his hand out for her to take, pulling her gently to her feet when she took it and smiling at the grumpy look on her face. She could frown at him all she wanted, for one more night and day she had to do as she was told and right now she needed to get to bed. He kissed the crease between her brows that always appeared when she was frowning before leading her towards their tent, ushering her inside first when they reached it. Lottie quickly readied herself for bed; it was too cold now to sleep in just a nightdress, no matter how thick the material and she slid Robb's fur lined robe on too before settling down to brush her hair through. He watched her as she ran the brush through the long blonde strands and tried to ignore how much he desired her in that moment. Gods he wanted to make love to her but it was far too cold to even consider ripping her nightclothes away from her. He would somehow make himself wait until they returned to Winterfell, reminding himself over and over that it was only a day away as his eyes lingered on the swell of her breasts that were half exposed by her open robe.

Lottie turned to him once she was finished and recognised the look of lust clouded in his deep blue eyes, smiling knowingly at him. She knew he wouldn't bed her, not now when they were still out here in the open, he would think it far too cold even though she knew damn well that she would be more than warm enough with his body enveloping hers. _Tomorrow_, she reminded herself before she rose up and padded to the dresser, pulling open one of the drawers and extracting another pair of thick woollen socks. She was always warm enough at night but somehow her feet would always be that irritating almost cold so she thought adding another pair of socks might help. Robb watched with a slight frown as she sat on the edge of the bed and pulled them on.

"Go on," she said, feeling his eyes on her, "say it …"

"I thought you said you were warm enough," he obliged her and she looked up and rolled her eyes.

"I am," she said firmly, "it's just my feet, and they're not cold … they're just not quite warm"

"Hmm," he sounded sceptical but she met his eyes unflinchingly and he finally sighed in defeat.

"Come and lay down with me like you said," she smiled then, pulling back the blankets and furs.

"You drive a hard bargain Lottie Stark," he said darkly as he stood and crossed to her.

"I just want my husband in my arms … is that so bad?" she asked him as he climbed into bed.

"Well … when you put it like that …" he conceded, shifting himself around her.

"I wish you'd stay with me," she said then and he held her closer, kissing her temple.

"It's just one night Lottie," he replied and she sighed.

"I know," she said, "but I'll still miss you"

"I'll miss you too … but you know I have to do it," he said.

"I know," she repeated, "will you at least stay until I've fallen asleep?"

"Of course I will," he promised her and he felt her relax properly in his embrace.

* * *

Robb was riding with his mother as he squinted his eyes, straining them to try and catch a view of Winterfell. Lottie was right behind him at Sansa's side, the pair of them constantly chattering away like little birds about the wedding. He should have ordinarily seen Winterfell by now but there was a slight mist hanging in the afternoon air and it was obscuring his vision of the distance.

"An hour at most," his mother said from his side.

"Aye," he agreed, they had not long passed the marker that indicated an hours ride.

"I did enjoy Riverrun and seeing Edmure but I cannot wait to be home," she smiled.

"Neither can I," he agreed.

"We are going to be busy indeed these next months," she predicted and he nodded his agreement.

"The wedding preparations will take up most of our time for the next few days," he said.

"I cannot believe Sansa will soon be gone to Karhold … the Gods know how long it will be before she's able to come and visit again," she said sadly.

"I know you'll miss her mother, we all will, but she's very happy," he soothed her.

"I know that," she smiled, glancing back and seeing the smile on her daughters face as she and Lottie continued their own conversation.

"We will just have to pray that the winter will not be a long one," he said.

"Yes," she agreed, "but at least we know we have plenty provisions"

"I'm not worried about that, Winterfell will be fine it always has been, truly the snows don't bother me, I had just rather hoped my child would be able to run and play outside as we all did," he told her.

"When spring comes it will be all the more special to them," she said.

"Yes," Robb agreed, "I know … it will just be very different but I suppose they will not know any better"

"Exactly," she said, "so long as they know they are safe and loved it matters not what the weather outside is doing"

"Thank you mother," he said.

"For what?" she asked him, "I haven't done anything"

"Yes you have," he answered, "probably more than you will ever realise."

* * *

Robb was off his horse at once when they arrived in the courtyard of Winterfell, walking to the side of Lottie's own mount and helping her down. He held her in his arms for a moment longer than he needed to, so glad and so grateful that they had made it to Riverrun and back and he still had her safe and secure. When he let her go she was beaming up at him and he smiled back, kissing her firmly on the forehead.

"I'm glad to be back," she stated then and his smile widened.

"So am I," he said, "and we will not be leaving here again for the Gods know how long"

"I can think of worse things than being stuck here with you," she said suggestively and he raised his brows at her.

"Go inside," he urged her then, "go and relax … take a bath, I have to check with the Maester and the steward that nothing of immediate importance has cropped up while we were away – then my Queen, I am all yours"

"Good," she whispered, pulling his head down to her so she could capture his lips in a slow kiss.

"That is a wicked trick," he breathed when she finally released him.

"I thought you liked my wicked tricks?" she said slyly, "And besides, I had to do something to ensure you won't be long"

"Inside," he growled at her and she smiled widely at him before turning and walking away from him.

She could still feel his eyes on her as she made her way up the steps, Gods she truly was so glad to be back at Winterfell. She had missed it, missed _home._ She may have only been here for a little under two years but now she could imagine being nowhere else. With her parents she had never truly had a home to miss. Thinking of Cubston Hall only made her think of what she had lost, despite having had many a happy time there with Lyndon and Arthur. No. It was Winterfell for her, Winterfell was where she belonged – with Robb.

* * *

**A/N: **Yay! They're home! Hope you all enjoyed!

:)


	24. XXIV

**A/N: **New chapter! We're getting towards the end now guys ... I think four more might just do it ... *sadface*

**Aga:** You're welcome! Thanks for the review, sorry the chapter before last made you cry - this fic tends to do that to people!

**Tarias:** I thought we could have a break from the heaviness for a while ... it will be back though!

Anyway, on with the chapter. Do let me know what you think!

:)

* * *

**XXIV**

* * *

Sansa looked utterly beautiful as she walked into the Godswood on Robb's arm, her lips stretched into a wide smile as her eyes sought out her future husband. There was light snow falling but no one gathered to witness the union complained as Robb placed his sister's hand in that of Harrion Karstark, handing her life over to his protection. He couldn't have picked a better match for Sansa and as he stepped away to stand at his own wife's side a satisfied smile adorned his own face. Lottie's fingers came to lace with his then and he was glad to feel that her hands were warm despite the absence of gloves. Her predicted rebellion had already begun, her flat out refusing to wear gloves, insisting that they would not go at all well with her dress and that they would only be out in the Godswood for a short time. He had tried, he had really tried but she would not back down and in the end he had had to settle for fixing a frown on his face whenever he looked at her as she had readied herself for the ceremony, hoping the action would soften her to his way of thinking. It hadn't though, she had been excessively cheerful on purpose and in the end he couldn't find it in him to be irritated with her anymore.

Harrion stepped forward then to take Sansa's maiden's cloak, the only thing that was different from the ceremony that Robb and Lottie had had. There had been no need for the cloaking during their union. Lottie had no maiden's cloak as she was no longer a maiden and there had been no rule stating that he needed to cloak her anyway. They had just recited the vows. Simply. Beautifully. That was all that was necessary for them and Robb had enjoyed the simplicity of it all. He turned to look at his wife then as Sansa and Harrion began to speak the words, her own face tilting up to meet his gaze, a small smile playing on her lips as her hand squeezed his lightly. Robb was willing to bet that she was remembering their own wedding day as he was. He had been certain of her that day but standing with her now he was even more satisfied with his decision to marry her. He loved her. Gods he loved her so much.

Her hand came from his then as Sansa and Harrion kissed and Robb brought his own hands together to clap alongside everyone else. His sister's smile was the widest he had ever seen it when she turned and took her new husbands arm so they could lead the way back to the keep for the feasting. Lottie's hand snuck into the crook of his arm then as they followed on after them, a smile adorning her own face when he turned to look at her. The dining hall was already filling up when they entered, happy shouts and laughter spilling from everywhere. All the fires were raging and the smell of the feast was incredible as Robb led Lottie up to their places. She shrugged her cloak off when they reached the high table and slung it over the back of her chair, Robb following suit. It was more than warm enough in the hall.

"They look happy indeed," Lottie commented as he sat at her side.

"I can only agree," Robb smiled, looking towards Harrion and Sansa and seeing them being fawned over by guest after guest.

"Will they leave tomorrow?" she asked him.

"Aye, most like," he answered, his hand finding hers and squeezing lightly.

"I'm going to miss her terribly," she confessed.

"No doubt you will both write every day," Robb said.

"I know," she smiled, turning her head to him and seeing him return the gesture.

"Let's just enjoy today," he said and she nodded her agreement.

* * *

"Lottie would you come and dance with me?" Sansa asked her breathlessly.

"Are you sure you can manage another dance?" Lottie laughed, Sansa had been twirled around by near everyone since the feasting had come to an end.

"Just one more for my good-sister," Sansa beamed and Lottie rose up.

"How can I refuse?" she asked happily, picking her skirts up and making her way towards her good-sister who was still slightly flushed but ever smiling.

Sansa took her hand and they began what was thankfully a less energetic dance with simple steps. Lottie didn't want to do anything too boisterous, knowing she would no doubt look ridiculous as she was growing so big now. She smiled at Sansa as their feet mirrored one another's perfectly as they kept in time with the music. It had been such a wonderful day and such a beautiful wedding. Lottie couldn't help but hope that the bride and groom would retire soon though as she herself was beginning to feel tired and she didn't want to appear rude and leave before them. As if Sansa was responding to her thoughts she came a little closer to Lottie, her eyes suddenly slightly apprehensive.

"I think the bedding will be soon," she murmured.

"I would think so," Lottie agreed, "but you know Robb has banned a traditional ceremony"

"Yes," Sansa said gratefully, "but I am still so nervous"

"Do you trust him?" Lottie asked her.

"I do," she nodded, "I trust him with my life"

"It will hurt," Lottie stated, "there is nothing to be done about that – but the pain goes and you need to trust that he will do everything to make you as comfortable as possible"

"It won't hurt after the first time will it?" Sansa asked her quietly, her eyes wider than usual.

"No," Lottie smiled, "and don't ever think of it as duty … enjoy it, take pleasure from one another"

"Thank you Lottie," Sansa said, looking far more relaxed, "I am truly going to miss you"

"And I you," she agreed with a smile, "but you are going to be most happy and I will write to you as often as I can"

"And I will write back," Sansa promised.

"Forgive me my Queen," Harrion's voice sounded behind her then and Lottie turned, "do you mind if I reclaim my wife?"

"Of course not, I grow weary being on my feet too long," Lottie smiled, sending one more reassuring look at Sansa before making her way back up to the high table.

Robb was participating in what she could only describe as a heated conversation with Arya and Rickon as she settled herself back into her chair. After a moment she worked out that they were arguing over the most effective sword fighting technique and she rolled her eyes, turning away from them and filling her cup with some warm, spiced wine.

"Was Sansa alright?" Catelyn asked quietly from the other side of her.

"She was a little nervous about the bedding but she's fine now," Lottie assured her.

"I thought she might be," her good-mother said, "but she got rather flustered when I tried to speak with her about it"

"It is not the easiest thing to discuss with your mother," Lottie smiled, "although I imagine you would have been far more sensitive than mine was"

"I imagine any number of people would have been more sensitive than your mother," Catelyn said drily, "I don't know how you managed to live with her"

"I knew no better," Lottie smiled, "not until I was married anyway, for weeks I was so utterly convinced Lyndon would suddenly turn on me"

"I presume he didn't," Catelyn said.

"No, he didn't," Lottie confirmed, "he wasn't a perfect husband, far from it, but he was never the monster my mother prepared me for"

"Do you miss him?" she asked Lottie curiously then, they had never discussed her previous marriage.

"Sometimes," Lottie nodded, "but I can think of him fondly"

"That's good," Catelyn smiled.

"You know I used to flinch any time he came near me for the first weeks of our marriage until one day he forced me to sit down and tell him why, and so I did … because I had always been taught to obey my husbands every command," Lottie told her.

"And what did he say?" she asked her.

"He laughed. I honestly could not believe it but he laughed at me for the longest time and I had no clue what to do, what to say. Eventually he calmed himself and told me that he had received assurances from my mother that I was very like her," Lottie continued and Catelyn snorted; "he said that the letter couldn't have been more wrong and that he couldn't have been more relieved. After that I stopped being afraid of him and we fell into something almost like a happy marriage," Lottie finished, smiling slightly sadly.

"It's cruel everything you've had to endure," Catelyn said, taking her hand, "and I know I can't have helped matters to begin with"

"Everything I had to endure has led me here," Lottie replied, "and yes I still miss Arthur and I never wanted Lyndon dead but … I love Robb and I'm most happy here at Winterfell. The Gods haven't cursed me as I thought they had and I am truly happy that we have made peace Catelyn"

"As am I," she smiled, squeezing her hand.

"But now I think the bride and groom have slipped away so I can finally go to bed," Lottie smiled back.

"Sleep well," Catelyn said.

"Do tell Robb where I've gone, I would do it myself but I don't want to interrupt their riveting conversation," she said with a roll of her eyes and Catelyn smiled.

"I will," she promised her, watching her good-daughter make her way through the hall, people parting to make way for their Queen as she left.

Catelyn smiled slightly once she had gone. Her relationship with Lottie had transformed so completely in such a short space of time and she truly was glad of it. Things had been getting better before they had left for Riverrun but their trip away had given her such insight into her life. She didn't pity her, she admired her for the strength and resilience she had. To endure such hardships at such a young age was awful but Lottie never played the victim. Catelyn didn't think she could ever have been so strong, if it had been her all those years ago. If Robb had died in the cradle and Ned had never come back from the war. Likely she would have shut herself away and refused to ever come out. She glanced at Robb then and smiled slightly, he had come on so much as well. At the Twins she had been so worried he would fall away into darkness again but he had clung on and now it seemed he had taken several steps away from the edge. He was no longer teetering on the brink, his feet were firmly planted on solid ground.

* * *

Lottie was sat on the edge of their bed completely bare when Robb came up to their chamber and he took a moment to let his eyes wander the smooth flesh of her back in the glow of the firelight before he moved further into the room. She looked up and smiled at him then and he saw the slightly faraway look in her eyes as she continued to rub the Dornish oils into the skin of her stomach. She had torn their room apart on their return, looking for the oils when she discovered the fine lines that were beginning to appear on her stomach. Robb could barely see them but she was frantic. She had used the oils when she had been pregnant with Arthur and they had smoothed away the lines and left her skin unblemished as it had been before. Robb shrugged out of his own clothes as he watched her and Lottie knew she would not be going straight to sleep. He came towards her then and she looked up at him as his hand came to take the bottle of oil from her.

"Let me," he said softly and she scooted back on the bed and lay down with a contented sigh. His hands were so gentle as he massaged the oil over the swell of her stomach and she let herself relax completely under his touch as he continued to work. When he was done he set the bottle aside and came to lay beside her, tugging the furs up around them and pressing his body to hers as best he could. The swell of her stomach made it difficult for him to wrap her in his arms as he usually did. He breathed deeply then as her fingers trailed down his spine, her other hand stroking down his cheek lovingly. She inched forward then and captured his lips in a slow kiss that had desire swelling him at once as his hand wandered up her side to thumb at her breast.

Lottie shifted her body then so she could encourage him to roll over. When he was on his back she pulled herself astride him and smiled at the look of want in his eyes. Still she could scarce believe that he still wanted her like this. That he still desired her even though she was all swollen and different. She could feel exactly how much he wanted her then as she straddled his hips, lifting herself slightly so he could slip inside her. Robb groaned out in satisfaction then as she began rocking ever so slowly against him, her hands rubbing up and down his chest as his own wandered her thighs, his eyes roaming her body as she moved so perfectly above him. The rise and fall of her breasts became more frequent then and gasps of pleasure were leaving her mouth as she continued on.

As he felt her coming closer to her end he sat himself up and pressed himself as close to her as he could get, his hands coming to cup her face and pull her lips gently to his. He could feel the hum of pleasure at the back of her throat as he kissed her deeply, feeling her reaching her end around him, her hips still rocking into him as he savoured her warmth around him for a few moments longer before he too reached his peak. She stilled then, her hands gripping his shoulders as they continued to kiss, the motion of their lips perfected after so much time. The taste of her still something he could not get enough of. After another long moment Lottie had to pull away, breathing hard as she tried to steady her pounding heart. Robb gazed at her, his own breathing ragged as he fixed his eyes on hers for the longest time, his hands coming away from her face to slide firmly down her back.

She shifted herself then so they became two people again, shoving against Robb's shoulders so he lay back down against the pillows and moving off him, pulling the furs about them again. The room was warm with the fire burning bright and the water from the hot springs being piped through the walls. The only room warmer than this was the one next to it which would soon be transformed into a nursery. Lottie hadn't been sure whether she wanted to fix it up herself so Catelyn had volunteered to do it for her, promising that if she didn't like something it would be changed and that she wouldn't be offended. Lottie had been grateful beyond words for that and she smiled slightly to herself as she snuggled into the warm bed. Robb turned then so he could press himself against her back and wrap his arms around her stomach, letting his lips press a kiss to her shoulder.

"I love you," he whispered against her skin.

"I love you too," she breathed back and he kissed her again as a yawn took over her.

"Close your eyes," he urged her softly.

"Make sure you wake me tomorrow, I don't want to miss Sansa," she told him sleepily.

"I will I promise," he said and she sighed happily before doing as she was told and closing her eyes.

Robb's own eyes stayed open as he held her to him, just waiting for her breaths to even out as she fell into a deep sleep. He didn't need to wait long and he smiled to himself as he knew she had drifted away, she had been so tired the last few days. Her pregnancy and the long journey home had taken their toll on her and he felt slightly guilty that he had kept her up longer. She stirred slightly against him then but didn't wake and he sighed happily before letting his own eyes close.

* * *

Catelyn tried to remain strong and composed as she watched Sansa's belongings being loaded up onto the back of the wagon. Last time she had watched this happen her daughter had gone to the Capitol and she had almost never come back. She swallowed hard then and tried not to think of that; it was different this time, Sansa was going further north not south and she would be with a family who had long been kin and long been loyal. Her daughter would be safe and looked after and come spring she would come and visit with her husband; and perhaps a child as well. The thought of that made Catelyn both happy and sad. Her first grandchild would be arriving soon enough but she would be around for that, the thought of not meeting any child Sansa would have for years made her heart ache. She forced a smile to her face then as Sansa turned from embracing Lottie and her siblings and came towards her, her bottom lip trembling slightly.

"Don't you dare," Catelyn scolded her, pressing her finger to her lip, "you will set me off!"

"I'm going to miss you," Sansa whispered, tears stinging her eyes.

"You be happy do you understand me?" Catelyn said, pressing her lips firmly together.

"I am mother, I promise," Sansa managed to smile.

"Good," she said, "the Karstark's are good people, they will look after you"

"I know," Sansa agreed, her voice stronger as she glanced towards her husband.

"You'd best go, the sooner you leave the sooner you will be safely at Karhold," Catelyn urged her.

"I will write to you when we arrive," Sansa promised.

"You better had," Catelyn said with a smile which her daughter returned before they grabbed one another in a tight embrace.

When they broke apart Catelyn kissed her firmly on the forehead and gave her an encouraging nod and smile which made her look at least a little more reassured.

"I love you," she said.

"I love you too my sweet girl," Catelyn returned and Sansa finally turned from her.

Somehow she resisted the urge to pull her back, to make her stay here at Winterfell. She was going though, she was at Harrion's side now and her husband helped her up gently onto her horse, staying at her side for a while and saying something to her that Catelyn couldn't make out. When he moved away from her though Sansa looked far more relaxed and happy and she managed to smile; knowing that her daughter was in a happy marriage. Spring would come and all she could do was pray it would come quickly as her other children came to stand around her, somehow managing to bring her comfort without saying a word. Rickon's hand found hers as the horses were kicked into motion, Sansa turning her head and raising her hand in farewell. Catelyn swallowed hard as they clattered out of the courtyard, squeezing Rickon's hand lightly, a tear finally escaping her.

"She'll be alright," Robb murmured from behind her.

"I know she will," she said, her free hand coming to wipe the tear away from her cheek.

* * *

It was over a month before word came from Karhold that Sansa and the others had arrived safely and Catelyn had spent the time fixing up the nursery to keep her mind from worrying too much about her daughter. A few days after the letter arrived she was finally satisfied that the room was ready for Robb and Lottie to set their eyes on. She was hopeful that they would like it as she wandered towards their chambers where they often spent time now. Lottie had just over a month to go before the baby was due to make its appearance and she was staying away as much as she could to avoid the gazes of the people who were all now beginning to whisper excitedly about whether the baby would be a boy or a girl. Catelyn knew that Robb didn't care either way and she was glad, Lottie had enough pressure piled on her as it was without having to worry that her husband would be disappointed with her if she didn't deliver a male heir first time round. She knocked softly on the door then and heard Robb tell her to come in after a moment.

"Is everything alright mother?" he asked her from the corner where he was sat writing letters.

"Fine," she smiled, "I just thought you'd like to know that the nursery is finished"

"Wonderful," he smiled, "shall we go and see it Lottie?"

"Of course," Lottie said evenly but Catelyn detected a slight hint of apprehension in her voice.

"You don't have to come right away," she said.

"No, I want to see it," Lottie insisted, setting her needlework aside and getting to her feet.

Robb stood then, his hand coming to the small of her back as her own rested on her stomach which was near fit to burst now. He guided her out of the door and Catelyn followed after them after a moment, praying to the Gods that nothing in the nursery would remind Lottie of the one she had fixed up for Arthur. Lottie pushed open the door carefully and stepped inside, a feeling of almost relief spreading through her as she gazed about the room.

It was ever so cosy, Catelyn had chosen neutral, creamy fabrics to decorate with and Lottie stepped further in to examine everything in more detail. There was a wide window seat strewn with cushions and she could instantly imagine herself sat there rocking her baby to sleep. There were several boxes of toys pushed up against one wall that would be sat waiting for the baby to grow bigger and get more mobile. Above that was a shelf stuffed full with children's stories. The cradle was the most beautiful thing, carved so simply but made from the most beautiful dark mahogany. Lottie moved closer to it, her hand reaching out to touch the wood as she looked into the cradle to see that Catelyn had put in the blanket that she had stitched on the journey back from Riverrun. Tears stung her eyes then and she bit down on her bottom lip.

"Is something wrong? Do you want to change something?" Catelyn asked her fearfully.

"Lottie?" Robb said in concern, coming closer to her as she shook her head slightly.

"No," she managed, "no I don't want you to change a thing … honestly; it is so perfect …"

"Are you certain?" Catelyn persisted.

"I am," Lottie nodded, "I am truly; it's all so beautiful. Thank you so much, who made the cradle? It is utterly perfect"

"It was made by a craftsman at Riverrun when I was expecting Robb," Catelyn told her, "I loved it so much I had Ned bring it back here when we came after the war"

"Thank you so much for letting me use it," Lottie said sincerely.

"It only seems fitting that Robb's own children should use his old cradle," she returned.

"Thank you mother," Robb said meaningfully then, seeing how much happiness her efforts had brought to Lottie.

"You're most welcome," Catelyn beamed, "now all we have to do is wait for the baby to come and make use of all this."

* * *

**A/N: **Baby Stark is making it's arrival next chapter (squeeeee) but I just feel the need to warn you the the next few chapters are likely to be some of the most emotional I've ever written - and given some of the stuff I've done in this fic that's saying something for me lol! Anyway, hope you enjoyed this one. Will get the next one up later in the week!

:)


	25. XXV

**A/N: **It's baby Stark time!

**Aga:** Thanks, I'm glad you liked it. I thought it was a completely natural reaction as well! Sorry you'll miss Sansa but here comes baby Stark.

So, on we go and as I warned ... this is going to be emotional, it was such a tough chapter to write but I hope you all enjoy it as it's one I'm particularly proud of. Your thoughts as always would be amazing!

:)

* * *

**XXV**

* * *

Lottie winced slightly as she roused from sleep, her hand coming to her stomach as she felt the pain that was ever so different from the pain of the baby kicking at her ribs. She'd felt this pain before and she took a deep breath, knowing that today would most likely be the day her baby came into the world. She shifted herself out of Robb's arms then, hearing him sigh rather heavily, a noise of irritation mumbling from him as he rolled onto his back. He stayed sleeping though as she inched her way to the edge of the bed, swinging her legs off the edge and standing carefully. She took a few steps then, gripping the bed post when another pain hit her, this one seemed more persistent and she grimaced in pain, breathing deeply until it had passed. Something told her that this little Stark wanted to make an appearance sooner rather than later. Arthur had clung on for almost a full day, keeping her in agony for what felt like a lifetime. This one seemed to want to come quicker and she was both glad and apprehensive about the whole thing.

Part of her still didn't quite feel ready for this but it was too late for her to say no now as another pain tore right through her. She wouldn't send for anyone yet, not until her waters broke. She didn't want the Maester here until he needed to be. As much as she liked the man she knew he would be getting a barrage of abuse from her later – no doubt he would try and soothe and encourage her but she would not appreciate it. She hadn't appreciated it from the Maester at Cubston Hall, he was a man – what did a man know about the agony of childbirth? She settled herself in a chair by the dying fire then and remembered screaming at the top of her lungs at Lyndon through the door, knowing that he was waiting on the other side. Screaming at him to come in there and take the damn Maester away, screaming that she didn't want him, that he was no help. Hopefully she would be more dignified this time. She had apologised to him later of course and gifted him with some new crystal phials to mix his remedies in. He had accepted her apology gratefully and told her he had experienced much worse from women on their childbed, it was just part of his job.

Robb stirred in bed then as another pain came and she rubbed her hand across the swell of her stomach as he slowly sat up, blinking slightly confusedly until his eyes fell on her. He frowned then, a yawn taking over him before he could utter a word and Lottie steeled herself, hoping he would at least try and keep himself calm.

"What are you doing up?" he asked her sleepily as he got himself out of bed.

"I don't want you to panic," she started and he snapped his eyes to her, "but my labour has started"

"Oh Gods," he managed, his eyes wide, "do you want the Maester?!"

"Robb sit down!" she insisted and surprisingly he did as he was told.

"But …" he began then, reaching out to take her hand.

"I don't need him yet, the pains are not yet constant and my waters have not broken," she explained.

"Right," he said in a slightly dazed manner.

"You have no idea what I'm talking about do you?" she said in an amused manner and he shook his head slowly.

Lottie started to laugh then but cut off suddenly when another pain hit her, inhaling sharply and rubbing at her stomach again. Robb looked at her concernedly but didn't say a word, merely gripping her hand more tightly in his until the pain passed and she smiled at him again. The baby moved rather insistently then and she could tell from how low it had kicked that it would not be long before her waters did break. Then it would be a few short hours before the baby arrived and she tried to push down the rising panic. Hardy little Stark, that's what Robb had taken to calling the baby and she was determined to believe that he was right. He smiled reassuringly at her then as she looked up to meet his eyes and she realised in that moment that she couldn't do this without him. She needed him with her not on the other side of the door where he would worry himself into a frenzy and where he was of no use to her at all.

"Robb …" she started, not sure how to ask him, it was entirely improper but she needed him.

"What do you need?" he asked her, seeing the conflict in her eyes and knowing she wanted something.

"I don't want you to leave me," she said.

"I'm not going to leave you, not ever," he promised her, his grip on her hand tightening.

"No … I mean today," she persisted, "please don't leave me … I know you shouldn't, but I need you with me when I birth our baby"

"I'll be with you," he swore.

"They'll try and force you out," she warned him.

"It's a good thing I'm King then," he smiled, rubbing his other hand over her stomach.

* * *

They did indeed try to force him out. As soon as Lottie's waters broke his mother and the Maester were sent for and they had both looked at him expectantly as Lottie clung to him, breathing deeply as she tried not to cry out in pain. He made no move to leave despite his mother's insistence and the Maester telling him gently that it might not be the best thing to see the exact intricacies of childbirth. Still he hadn't moved, staring at them stony-faced while they blathered on until they finally shut up and he told them that he wasn't going anywhere. Lottie was laying propped up against all their pillows on the stripped back bed now, sheets and towelling cloths beneath her as she moaned out in pain, her grip on Robb's hand tightening almost painfully and then relaxing again once the pain had passed. He had grown used to this little routine only the squeezes on his hand were becoming more frequent and the Maester had said that that meant the time was close. Robb had had to fight the urge to punch Maester Vernon when he had first lifted Lottie's shift to examine her and he realised that that was likely one of the reasons men were not supposed to be present. His wife needed him though, she had wanted him here at her side and he could never have refused her.

"Oh Gods please," she moaned out then, his hand being crushed again, "I want it out of me damn it!"

"Alright your Grace," the Maester soothed, going to examine her again, Robb again having to remind himself that it was necessary.

"Robb … perhaps …" his mother started then but he didn't want to hear it again.

"I'm not going anywhere," he practically snarled as Lottie moaned out again.

"Your Grace it's time to push," the Maester said, "when you feel …"

"I know what to do!" she cut him off venomously and Robb almost flinched at her hard tone.

"Very good your Grace," the Maester said calmly, seemingly unperturbed by her bluntness.

Lottie was fighting to sit herself higher up against the pillows then and Robb came to aid her at once, his mother rearranging some of the pillows so she was more comfortable. He took her hand again then, just in time for her to crush it with all her strength as she pushed down hard, feeling that unique kind of agony that meant the baby was coming. Robb grimaced slightly in pain but he knew better than to complain. Having heard the way she had spoken to the Maester during her labour he was wary of saying anything, even something encouraging.

"Perfect your Grace," the Maester told her as she breathed hard, preparing herself for the next push.

"Is it coming yet?" Catelyn asked him and he nodded.

"I wouldn't look your Grace," the Maester told Robb then as he took a tiny step towards the end of the bed.

"No, you stay here!" Lottie snarled at him, her nails pinching into the back of his hand as the pain hit her and she used all her strength to push down hard.

"That's it … that's it your Grace … the head is coming …" the Maester said and Robb's own head swam.

"Almost there," Catelyn soothed her, pushing her hair back from her forehead.

It was two more pushes. Two more crushing's for Robb's hand before her grip slackened, her head dropping back in relief against the pillows and in the next second loud, insistent crying. Robb's head swam even more then as he looked between the Maester and Lottie who was still trying to regain her breath as his mother mopped a cool, damp cloth over her sweat drenched brow.

"What is it?" he managed weakly as the Maester cleaned up the little bundle, before wrapping a blanket securely round the tiny baby.

"A Princess your Grace," the Maester answered him and he grinned.

"Hanna, Lottie," he said in a slightly dazed manned and her hand squeezed his again.

"Here you are your Grace, perfectly healthy," the Maester said then, coming to her and passing the baby down into her arms.

Lottie stared at her for a moment, for a second her mind was completely blank but then tears stung painfully in her eyes as she looked at her daughter. Her eyes were blinking slowly, her tiny little lips moving slightly, a little tongue poking out every now and again. The dusting of hair on her head was dark and her tiny fingers clenched themselves into little fists and unclenched them again. A tear escaped Lottie then as she suddenly felt as though she was being crushed with a thousand emotions, all of them conflicting with one another. It was overwhelming. She was completely overwhelmed.

"Robb," she managed to choke out, "Robb … take her"

He obliged her then, carefully shifting his daughter from her arms and gazing down on her as she blinked up at yet another unfamiliar face. She was utterly beautiful. He had always referred to her as a hardy little Stark and he smiled in wonder at her now, seeing how dark and Stark the sprinkling of hair on her head was. Her eyes were blue, that dull baby blue that he knew would change over the coming weeks. He wondered vaguely what colour they would turn and his smile widened as he realised he would just have to wait and see. He would wonder at her every day, he already knew that. She had been here mere minutes but Robb could no longer remember what his life had been without her in it. He looked to Lottie then and saw her looking at him with an expression on her face that he couldn't quite place.

"Are you alright?" he asked her, "Do you want her back?"

"No," she said, slightly more forcefully than she had intended and he frowned slightly at her; "I'm tired that's all," she said more softly.

"Of course you are," Robb smiled at her, his eyes drifting to their daughter again.

"Catelyn, would you ask the maids to bring water for a bath?" she asked then.

"Yes of course, it would be my pleasure," Catelyn smiled, "I am so pleased for you both"

"Thank you mother," Robb said.

"Perhaps I can prise her away from you for a moment when I return?" she teased him.

"Perhaps," Robb chuckled slightly, his eyes not moving from the baby.

* * *

Lottie was grateful when Catelyn suggested to Robb that they take Hanna to the nursery and introduce her to Alma who was to be her nurse. She had managed to smile and say all the right things but inside she was screaming. If Robb hadn't been so wrapped up in the baby then she imagined he would have seen right through her but thankfully he hadn't. She couldn't bear the thought of him asking her what was wrong because she had no idea how she was supposed to explain it to him when she couldn't even explain it to herself. She was ashamed of herself, knowing that she should be euphoric and wondering over the baby as he was but she just couldn't make her head feel what her heart wanted it to feel. It didn't feel right. It didn't feel real. She may have just brought Hanna into the world but she didn't feel like she was _hers. _Perhaps it was best she was with Alma now, Alma was a sweet woman who had nursed Rickon when he had been a baby. Rickon adored her and now Hanna could too.

She began to cry then as she slipped out of her shift and sank down into the warm bath. Sobs were coming thick and fast as she sat in the tub, burying her head in her hands she tried to stop the shame that was welling in her. Hanna was her daughter. Hanna needed her but instead she had held her for mere seconds before making Robb take her away. Now she was actively hoping that her _nurse _would be the one to look after her when she should be doing it herself. She should _want _to do it herself but the thought of being alone with her made her cry even harder. Oh, Gods, was she turning into her mother?

Lottie slid down into the water then, letter her head sink beneath the surface until her lungs were screaming for air. For a second she imagined just lying there, ignoring the pleas of her body to rise up again. She could open her mouth and let her lungs drown. Then all this pain and uncertainty would be gone. Perhaps Hanna would be better off without her, perhaps she'd be better off with no mother than one who couldn't bear to even look at her. It was ever so tempting. Her head was spinning now. She thought of Robb then despite herself, she thought of what it would do to him if he found her lifeless in the bathtub on what was evidently the happiest day of his life. She imagined him clinging to her body, shaking her, desperately trying to make her open her eyes, to make her breathe again.

"_You look at me! You pull yourself together …"_

She emerged gasping then, her lungs crying out in relief as she gulped down the air. Lyndon. Of all the people it was Lyndon. Her head was still swimming from the lack of air and she irrationally found herself wishing that he was here with her. She wished he would walk through that door, march over to her and wrench her from the tub, force her to look him in the eyes and make her sort herself out and be a mother. He would have convinced her she knew he would have, she had no idea how he would have made her do it but he would have. He had had some kind of commanding hold over her, some ability to make her see sense and rationality when all she wanted to do was sink into the darkness and never emerge. Without him she would have wasted away after losing Arthur. Without him now she wondered if anyone would stand her up and make her love her daughter the way she deserved to be loved. Robb didn't command her the way Lyndon did, Robb was a different sort of man. He would try to coax her with kindness when really what she needed was to be shaken and told harshly exactly what she was supposed to do.

As she thought that she pulled herself out of the tub. What was wrong with her? What was she doing, wishing for Lyndon to come back? Why would she want him back when she had Robb? Why would she want a man who didn't love her and who was incapable of being faithful to her when she had a man who adored her and would die for her? A man who would never dream of taking another because to him his vows meant something. Tears rolled down her cheeks again then as she dried herself numbly. Something was wrong with her. Something was clearly broken inside her and she wished she knew what it was so that she could fix it and be the good wife and mother that she knew she could be. She brushed the tears furiously away then and pulled on her nightdress and Robb's robe that smelled so perfectly of him. Now all she needed to do was take those few steps to the door, open it and make the short journey to the nursery next door and share her husband's joy that they had a beautiful, healthy daughter. Her feet seemed stuck to the floor though and she glanced instead to the bed, seeing that the Maester had left her a dose of milk of the poppy on the bedside table. It was so much easier to take those few steps and swallow it down, climbing into the bed that had been remade – no trace of the birth of her daughter left visible. She closed her eyes then and inhaled Robb's scent as the milk of the poppy began taking effect, trying her hardest to let it melt away her guilt.

* * *

Robb managed to tear his eyes away from his sleeping daughter eventually. Night had fallen now and the keep was retiring for the night. His mother had gone not long before but he had barely heard her words of farewell as he wondered at the tiny creature that was half him and half Lottie. He thought of his wife then and felt guilty that he had left her alone all this time. It hadn't seemed like a long time but now he felt bad for neglecting her. She had gone through agony to deliver their little Princess and he had not yet told her how grateful he was, how much he loved her. As he walked quietly from the nursery with a kind farewell to Alma he suddenly thought how strange it was that Lottie had not come to join him in the nursery. Surely after she got herself cleaned up she would have been itching to come and hold her daughter in her arms again. She had said she was tired though, perhaps she had closed her eyes for a moment and exhaustion had taken her over. Likely that was it, perhaps it was better that way; she would be well rested in the morning and in a better state to spend time with Hanna.

Sure enough, she was sleeping when he slipped into their chambers and he smiled at the sight. Gods, he wondered how he would ever explain to her how happy she had made him by giving him Hanna. The people and the Lords had all been praying for a Prince but Robb truly hadn't minded whether they had a boy or a girl and he was thrilled with Hanna. Besides, with them set to be shut up at Winterfell for the long winter Robb imagined it wouldn't be long before another little heir was on its way. He smiled then as he readied himself for bed, he knew he was getting ahead of himself, that Hanna had only arrived hours ago but he couldn't help imagining Winterfell bursting with children. With his and Lottie's little Stark's. Gods he was happy, he wasn't sure how he was ever supposed to stop himself from smiling. He climbed into bed then and gently look Lottie into his arms. She stirred slightly but stayed asleep and he inhaled the sweet scent of her hair, pressing a kiss to the top of her head before he closed his own eyes in perfect contentment.

* * *

It was pitch black when Lottie's eyes opened, feeling herself secure in Robb's arms where she had always felt so safe and content. Now though even his comforting embrace could not melt the overwhelming sadness and shame away. She swallowed hard then and inched away from him. He mumbled slightly but thankfully stayed sleeping as she shifted out of bed. She wasn't sure she could cope with him waking up, with him fixing those perceptive eyes on her and wondering why she looked so miserable when she should be on top of the world. Likely he would try and understand, likely he would think she was thinking of Arthur and what she had lost. That would be an easy excuse to make but Lottie wasn't even sure if that was why she was feeling the way she was.

She padded towards the door then, thinking of Arthur then had panic rising up in her that she couldn't push down. She pulled open the door and hurried to the nursery, letting herself in and crossing to the beautiful cradle that she knew contained her beautiful daughter. When she reached it she hesitated, her eyes closing as she inwardly begged that everything would be allowed to be alright. She reached her shaking hand into the cradle then, feeling the softness of the blanket, sneaking her hand underneath it until she could feel the rise and fall of Hanna's tiny chest. She breathed a sigh of relief then and snatched her hand away. Part of her was screaming to reach down and take her into her arms, to let her nuzzle her soft head against her breast. She wanted to be able to cradle her in her arms and press a kiss to her forehead and be able to breathe in that perfect baby smell. The other part of her wanted to flee from the room, to flee from the keep, from Winterfell, from the North, from the world. Everything was so mixed up, all her emotions fighting one another as she stood there staring blankly into her baby's cradle. She wished that everything would just stop. That she could just feel nothing. Just for one minute. Then maybe she wouldn't be feeling as though she was losing her mind.

"_Don't you see Lyndon?! They said they don't know, they don't know why he died! But don't you see, I have to know! I have to know what happened to him so I know that it wasn't me! I have to know that I didn't do anything wrong! I have to know that I didn't kill our baby!"_

* * *

**A/N:** So it's a little Princess! But as some of you predicted it is not at all easy for Lottie. Her reactions were really tough to write and I'm hoping I did it justice, do let me know! Will post the next chapter ASAP.

:)


	26. XXVI

**A/N: **New chapter guys, another emotional one I'm afraid but we're getting close to the end now. I should have another for you on Thursday and then the last one up on Sunday (sad face, going to miss this one!)

For now though, hope you enjoy this one - do let me know!

:)

* * *

**XXVI**

* * *

"It's been a week and she hasn't held her once," Robb said.

"Are you certain?" Catelyn asked him.

"Yes," Robb snapped back, "Lottie keeps saying she's fine … that she spends time with Hanna every day but she's lying … Alma said she hasn't been once during the day"

"Have you spoken to her?" Catelyn asked him, a frown creasing her brow now.

"I don't know what to say to her, how can I accuse her of neglecting our daughter after everything she went through with Arthur?" he asked her despairingly.

"You can't ignore this forever," his mother said.

"I know," he said, running a hand through his hair, "I thought perhaps … perhaps once Hanna lived passed the sixth day she would snap out of it"

"But she hasn't," Catelyn stated.

"Alma says that sometimes she wakes at night and sees her standing there above the cradle, just watching her – she never picks her up, she just watches," he said, shaking his head.

"Talk to her," his mother implored him.

"What in the name of the Gods do I say?" he asked her desperately.

"I don't know Robb, but she is clearly suffering and leaving her to deal with it on her own isn't fair," she told him firmly.

"I know," he said, "I know …" he repeated, shaking his head again as he made his way towards the door.

His steps were slow and heavy as he trudged up the stairs. It had taken him a little over a day to realise that something wasn't right with Lottie. He supposed he should have noticed sooner but he had been so caught up in his own joy that he hadn't realised that her own was absent. The Maester had said sometimes new mothers struggled and that she would likely be fine in a few days. Robb had let that placate him but then his unease crept back into him when she lied to him about spending time with Hanna. She never lied to him. They didn't lie to each other – that was the rule; that had always been the rule since he had kept Ser Johan's intentions from her. He imagined he would be more angry with her if he wasn't so worried. Sometimes he looked at her and didn't even recognise her anymore. She was slipping away from him, slipping away from their daughter who needed her. Alma was wonderful but she was not Hanna's mother and she never would be.

When he entered their chambers Lottie was up and dressed and pretending to read in the window, he knew she was pretending because her eyes were staring blankly at the page. He sighed then, what in the name of the Gods could he say to her without accusing her outright?

"How are you feeling?" he asked her then, the only thing he could think of.

"Fine," she said and he closed his eyes despairingly.

"I thought I would go and see Hanna, would you join me?" he asked then.

"I've just been … you go," she said.

"Have you really just been?" he asked her and she said nothing, only confirming what he already knew; "I'm not a fool Lottie and I know you've been lying to me"

Still she said nothing and he had the overwhelming urge to shake her. What was wrong with her? Why would she not want to be with her baby? It made no sense. Was she scared of getting close to Hanna in case something happened? In case she lost her like she had lost her son?

"Is this about Arthur?" he asked and she shrugged; "Lottie please talk to me, how can I help you if you don't tell me what's wrong?"

"How can I tell you what I don't know?!" she snapped to him, getting to her feet and letting her book fall to the floor with a hard thud.

"Just come with me … come with me to see her," he coaxed her.

"I can't …" she choked and he stepped towards her, wanting to take her in his arms but she stepped passed him, striding to the door.

"Lottie!" he called her back but she had gone, "Lottie please!" he called down the hallway but she didn't stop, rounding the corner at the end and leaving him helpless.

* * *

Lottie stopped for no one as she raced from the keep. She heard them. She heard Arya call out to her. She heard Bran and Rickon shout over from the tiltyard but she didn't so much as glance in their direction. She had thought about the Sept but dismissed it, she didn't want to be stifled in that small room, kneeling down at the feet of Gods who had never listened to her no matter how much she begged. She wanted to be outside despite the biting cold. In her haste to get away from Robb and his accusing tone she had forgotten to snatch up her cloak. She didn't care though. The cold was oddly comforting. It was nice to know that she still had the ability to feel. It was to the Godswood she went, gazing at the beautiful weirwood that she had happily said her vows before, her hands clasped in Robb's as she had gazed into his beautiful eyes. That day; that night had been perfect but now she wondered if that was the night he had put Hanna inside her. Was it that night? Or perhaps the blissful day after when they had shut themselves away and made love countless times?

Did it even matter?

It didn't matter when he had planted her in her, the only thing that mattered was that he had and as Lottie stood there staring at the heart tree she found herself almost wishing that he hadn't. She stepped forward then, disgusted at her second of sheer hatefulness, dropping to her knees before the old Gods, her tears almost freezing on her cheeks.

"I didn't mean it!" she gasped out, "Oh Gods please I didn't mean it! Please don't take her, I swear I didn't mean it, I swear!"

"Lottie?" she heard Catelyn behind her then but she ignored her.

"Please help me! I want to be better I do but I don't want to hurt her, I don't want to do something wrong! What if I do something wrong and she's snatched away from me like Arthur?! Was it me?! Please just tell me it wasn't me so I can love my baby!"

Catelyn stared at Lottie's back, tears stinging her own eyes as she saw the girl sobbing to the old Gods, Gods she had never worshipped. She had come out after Robb had found her, her son was in a complete panic and she had bid him stay inside. Confronting Lottie in such a state would not have been a good idea and she had elected to go herself. Her heart was breaking for her good-daughter. She couldn't imagine it, having a child snatched away from her and not knowing what had caused it. From Lottie's heart wrenching pleas she could only conclude that the poor girl was blaming herself for her little boy being taken away. Catelyn knew it wasn't true, she had asked the Maester once on a whim and he had told her that sometimes babies were just lost in their sleep. There was no reason for it, the only explanation he had was that the Gods had taken them. Somehow she doubted Lottie would listen to that reasoning though as she watched her break down completely, her words no longer coherent as her sobs echoed around the Godswood.

Catelyn stepped forwards then and knelt next to her, wrapping the cloak she had brought out for her around her shoulders and pulling her into an embrace. Lottie didn't have the strength nor the will to fight her and she clung to her good-mother so fiercely that she wondered how she would ever let go. Somehow she managed to calm herself, to stop the tears and push the sobs back down but she didn't slacken her grip on Catelyn and the older woman kept her securely in her arms.

"What's wrong with me?" Lottie whispered and Catelyn swallowed hard.

"There is nothing wrong with you," she soothed, "likely you're just overwhelmed"

"I can't do it … it hurts to even look at her and I can't explain why, and Robb is going to hate me because he loves her so much," she choked.

"Robb doesn't hate you, he could never hate you … he just wants to help," Catelyn told her.

"How? How can he help me when I don't even know what's wrong?!" she demanded.

"I don't know Lottie, I wish I did … I truly do," Catelyn said, rocking her gently.

"I just want to love her," Lottie confessed, "I just want to love her but I don't know how …"

* * *

"I want to get better Robb," Lottie whispered against his chest as they lay in the darkness, "I want to get better I just don't know how"

"Don't lie to me anymore," he whispered back, his arms tightening around her.

"I won't, I promise," she swore to him.

"I love you," he told her then and she could have cried in relief.

"I love you too," she returned, "please don't give up on me …"

"I won't," he promised, "you're my wife and we're going to make this better …"

* * *

Robb tried to keep his frustrations at bay over the next days but they often burst from him unexpectedly. Thankfully he hadn't lost control with Lottie but he had snapped at several townsfolk who were undeserving of it and frequently vented his anger to his mother who deserved it even less. She was doing everything to try and help him and Lottie but nothing was working and it was killing him that his beautiful daughter was missing her mother. Hanna was still so small and she was still so unassuming but she would grow, she was already growing every day and her eyes that were starting to turn a more stormy blue-grey shone so brightly. She was a perceptive little thing, Alma said she held attention on things for far longer than most babies of her age. Robb thought that she knew his face now, she often kicked her little legs and waved her arms up at him, gurgling happily when he came to see her. The thought made him overwhelmingly happy but also filled him with sadness as he wanted his little daughter to know Lottie's face too. She should know it, she should know her own mother but it was likely that at this moment in time she knew any number of people better than she knew Lottie. Lottie may as well be a stranger to her and it broke Robb's heart.

Hanna was ten days old now. Ten days old and thriving and perfect. Lottie should be treasuring this time but instead she was hiding away from it and Robb had just about reached the end of his tether. After a particularly unproductive meeting with the Maester he was in an even worse mood and ready to snap. He would fix this. He would force Lottie to be a mother if he had to. There was no other way. He had tried being soft with her, coaxing her gently but it wasn't working. His mother would be furious with him for this but he had to do it. He had to try and snap her out of it. He strode into the nursery and instantly went to scoop Hanna up, her little fists clenching in his doublet in a way that would usually make him chuckle but he was too angry right now.

"Your Grace?" Alma said tentatively.

"This can't go on Alma," he said, shaking his head.

"What are you going to do?" she asked him.

"I'm taking her to her mother, and her mother is going to look after her," he said with finality.

Alma looked uneasy but she made no move to stop him as he marched from the room and into the one next door to it. Lottie looked up at him and he saw the look in her eyes when she saw he had Hanna with him but he pushed down his guilt. This was for her own good, she would see that in the end.

"What are you doing with her in here?" she asked him fearfully as he gently lay Hanna down in the middle of their bed.

"I'm doing this for you," he told her, meeting her eyes before he made to leave.

"Robb no!" she jumped up but she was too late, he had left; "Robb please don't leave me here with her!" she shouted after him but his footsteps didn't falter.

She looked desperately to the bed then as she stood in the doorway. Surely Hanna would be alright for mere seconds if she went next door to get Alma? But then, what if Alma wasn't in the nursery? Lottie bit down on her bottom lip, tears stinging her eyes. What if Hanna rolled over while she was gone? What if she rolled onto her stomach and smothered herself in the thick furs? Surely she was too young yet to roll over? But what if she managed it? Robb had said how advanced she was for her age. He hadn't thought she was listening as he babbled on and on in the hopes that something he would say would snap her out of this consuming darkness. He hadn't thought she was listening as she stared blankly at the wall over his shoulder but she had been listening. She drank in every single word he uttered about their daughter. She wanted to hate him for forcing her into the position but she couldn't blame him. He had been pushed too far. She wanted to laugh then, this was much more like something Lyndon would do. Seems he and Robb had her pushing them to the ultimate limit in common, perhaps they could have bonded over that.

She turned away from the open door then and looked towards the bed for a long moment before retreating back to the window seat, her eyes still on the baby as she kicked her arms and legs free of her blankets. Lottie wished she wouldn't, what if she got cold? She bit her lip, the room was warm enough and Hanna was lain on those thick furs. She would be fine. Still she couldn't take her eyes away as her daughter started to gurgle happily. The sound should have melted her heart and had her walking to the bed at once and scooping her into her arms but she remained where she was. It was only when her gurgles turned to whimpers that Lottie moved. She twitched an inch, her eyes darting to the door. Hanna's whimpers began to turn to a cry then and she got to her feet.

"Robb!" she shouted through the door but she heard nothing but silence from outside the room, the only sound was Hanna's cry growing louder. "Robb please!" she shouted desperately; "Robb she's crying please come back!"

* * *

Robb bit down on his knuckles, feeling his mother and Alma's eyes on him as they listened to Hanna's increasingly desperate cries and Lottie's almost hysterical pleas for him to come back. He hated himself for this. For causing his wife and his daughter so much distress but he had to try. Lottie was shouting for Alma now and he snapped his eyes to her, shaking his head.

"Robb …" his mother started.

"Not yet," he cut her off.

"The little Princess is hungry," Alma said, "she always wants feeding around this hour"

"Just another few minutes!" he said desperately.

"Perhaps we should just try something else …" his mother said pleadingly as Lottie shouted out again.

"Not yet," he said, "not yet."

* * *

Lottie could feel the dampness against her chest and she knew that her milk was coming through, her breasts responding to the desperate cries of her baby better than she could. Her baby was hungry. Why wasn't Alma coming? How long would Robb let her go on like this? Surely it wasn't good for Hanna to be so distressed. She must be confused. Her crying was tearing Lottie's heart to pieces and in the next second she snapped, wrenching herself from the doorway and crossing to the bed, lifting her hysterical baby into her arms, holding her securely in one arm as she pulled on her ties with the other, shrugging her dress away and dropping her shift down to bare one breast. Hanna nudged against her, her cries lessening now as she sensed her hunger would soon be satiated. As she calmed Lottie encouraged her to latch on and she did so at once, feeding greedily, her little hand coming up to rest on Lottie's breast, her little fingers digging in to the rounded flesh.

"I'm sorry," Lottie whispered then, kneeling there in the middle of the bed, her eyes not moving from her feeding baby, "I'm so sorry"

She heard movement behind her then but she didn't turn. Someone had come, someone had finally come but she didn't need them anymore. She had her baby in her arms and she could look after her herself. Whatever cloud had been hanging over her had lifted. Hands touched her shoulders then and she knew at once that it was Robb who had come.

"I'm sorry," she whispered her apology to him then, feeling his lips come to the top of her head.

"I don't want to hear it, I'm just glad you're better," he breathed back.

"I will never forgive myself for this," she said, shaking her head as she looked down at Hanna.

"It doesn't matter Lottie," he soothed her, "you were bound to find it difficult but everything is alright now"

"It is," she agreed, a tear slipping down her cheek, "it truly is."

* * *

Robb went about his duties with the spring back in his step and the smile well and truly back on his face the next morning. He had his wife back, and their beautiful daughter finally had her mother. Lottie was going to see Alma today about her spending less time with Hanna and moving her cradle into their chambers rather than the nursery. Alma would still be around to help during the day but Lottie wanted Hanna in their chambers now and Robb was happy to along with whatever she wanted. If it meant being woken in the night he would live with it so long as his wife and child were happy. He knew Lottie still felt guilt over her days of neglect but Hanna was so young she would never remember it. Their bond could build uninterrupted now and Robb had constantly reassured Lottie as they'd lain in bed together the previous night that Hanna would soon come to know and love her.

When he left the Maester he went straight back upstairs, pausing at the door of the nursery and seeing that the cradle had already been removed. He'd seen the craftsman about having another made for the nursery now that the other would be placed in his and Lottie's chambers. He assumed that was where his girls were now and he was not disappointed as he pushed open the door to see them lazing on the bed. Hanna kicking her little legs up in the air and gurgling happily as Lottie lay at her side tickling her fingers lightly across her stomach. He smiled at the sight, the sight he had so longed to see over the past days when Lottie had been so absent, not just from Hanna but from him as well. Feeling his wife slipping away had terrified him more than anything and he was so pleased that she had pulled back from the brink. She looked up then and smiled that beaming smile at him that he had missed so much and he returned it happily, coming down to lay on Hanna's other side. Propping himself up on one elbow so he could wonder at her and her beautiful mother.

"Her eyes are more like yours every day," he commented.

"I think they are greyer than mine," she replied.

"There's still some blue in them, they're not quite Stark," he said.

"Her hair is all Stark though," she smiled.

"Something had to be," he grinned back.

"I don't see any Tully though," she commented.

"Not in looks perhaps," he conceded, "perhaps in her temperament"

"We shall have to wait and see," she said, cooing down at Hanna then as the baby grasped hold of one of her fingers.

"I think she knows you already," Robb commented.

"Do you really think so?" Lottie asked him slightly hopefully.

"I told you, she's a clever little thing, I have no doubt," he assured her and she smiled again.

"She definitely knows you," she said as Hanna moved her eyes to Robb's and kicked out even more furiously, her nonsense gurgling growing louder.

He couldn't disagree with her so he said nothing, merely smiling widely at her before bending to kiss his daughter's forehead, his fingers tickling the soles of her feet which were possibly the softest thing he had ever felt in his life. Lottie had her eyes fixed on him when he lifted his head back up and he leant in to kiss her lips softly for a lingering moment.

"Part of me was worried you might be disappointed with a girl," she confessed when he pulled away.

"I promised you I wouldn't be," he returned.

"I know … but I know how men want their heirs, especially King's," she teased.

"She's perfect," he said, "I wouldn't change her for a dozen sons"

"I can tell," Lottie said, seeing the proud, adoring light that shone in his eyes when he looked at Hanna.

"I honestly couldn't be happier Lottie, and it's all thanks to you," he said sincerely.

"Robb …" she blushed slightly.

"Don't argue with me," he said, kissing her again, "I am most thankful to the Gods that I stumbled across you in the woods that day"

"I thank them for it too," she breathed, "I can't imagine my life without you now"

He had to kiss her again then and she was more than happy to kiss him back, the two of them only pulling away when Hanna began to whine. Lottie sat herself up then, loosening her dress before cradling her gently and bringing her to her breast. She quietened at once, latching so easily onto her that Lottie almost believed Robb's words that her daughter knew her already. She was not quite so convinced of it herself, it had been Alma to do all this for most of the first few weeks of her life and she knew that that would have made an impact. All she could do was try and make up for the lost time and give her daughter all the love she had in her heart. She glanced up at Robb then and saw him smiling slightly wonderingly at her as she nursed their baby. He was such a wonderful father already and she just knew Hanna would always adore him – the Gods help any man who ever wanted to wed her. Lottie imagined that Robb would happily keep his little Princess locked up at Winterfell forever and never let any man steal her away. She snorted in amusement at the thought.

"What's so funny?" Robb asked her quietly.

"I'm just thinking of all those poor young men who will try and claim our daughter's heart," she said and he frowned slightly.

"Don't mention her marrying again until she is at least sixteen," he said and Lottie knew that he was only half joking.

"As you wish," she grinned at him and he let his frown drop away.

"I love you so much," he said seriously then and she met his intense gaze, "I love you so much and I'm so glad I have you back."

* * *

**A/N: **Definitely a happier ending than the last chapter! Thoughts?

:)


	27. XXVII

**A/N: **It's the penultimate chapter guys! Can't believe this is nearly over - thank you all so much for the support that has really kicked my arse when I've needed to sit down and write a tough chapter. Knowing you guys are waiting on me really makes me work that bit harder so thank you!

**Guest1:** Thank you! And thank you so much for reading PTT. I don't think I would do a sequel for it though, busy working on other fics at the moment and I have ideas for another few that I've not written a word for yet! But really, thank you so much and I hope you enjoy the last few chapters of this and any other of my fics you might choose to read!

On with the chapter now lovelies!

:)

* * *

**XXVII**

* * *

Robb was trying to concentrate but the happy gurgles of his daughter had him half distracted from the letter that he was determining to finish. It wasn't that important but once it was done the rest of his afternoon was free to spend with Lottie and Hanna once his wife came back from the seamstress. Hanna was growing so quickly and Lottie had ordered some new clothing be made for her and she had ventured out to pick it up not long ago leaving their daughter with Robb. She was such a content and happy little thing, as the weeks went by she just seemed to thrive more and more and Robb thought that he would just about burst with the pride and love he had for her. He was itching to get up from the desk and scoop her up into his arms to see that tiny mouth break out into the gummy smile that she had recently begun to bestow on everyone. She was such a happy baby, only ever truly grumbling when she was hungry or wet. His mother warned him that that would change when her teeth began to poke through but Robb would deal with that when it happened. He couldn't believe that it had only been six weeks since she had come into the world. It already felt like forever.

Lottie was such an utterly devoted mother to her now, the first few weeks now seeming like a distant memory. She had more than made up for the time she had missed out on but Robb could still see the guilt shining in her eyes sometimes and he wished with everything he had that he could take it away from her. She had been through so much that he hated to see her suffering, even for a moment. Hanna absolutely adored her, everyone who saw them together could see that clearly but he knew that Lottie still had her dark moments. All of this was all so new to her; Hanna may not be her first child but every day she grew a little in any number of ways and that was something Arthur had never had a chance to do. Robb knew that Lottie looked at her sometimes and saw all the lost opportunities her little boy could have had. He never lived long enough to smile up at her or grasp hold of his own feet and shove them in his mouth. Whenever Hanna did something new he could see the joy in her eyes mingled with just a hint of regret and it pained him to see it and pained him even more that there was nothing he could do to take it away. He thanked the Gods that Hanna hadn't been a boy now; somehow he knew that that would have been a hundred times worse for his wife. She had barely been ready for Hanna, she was absolutely not ready for Ned – not yet.

Robb felt his own twinges of guilt for feeling such pure joy and also already feeling the longing for more children. He didn't even dare mention it to Lottie yet nor had he made any move to bed her again. She could come to him when she was ready and he would be waiting for her and more than willing. The last thing he wanted to do was push her. No doubt the thought of having another child, of the possibility of feeling such dark thoughts again would weigh heavily on her mind. She had fallen pregnant with Hanna so quickly and Robb wasn't sure if she could cope with another pregnancy so soon. She might be better but she was by no means fully recovered from any of it. Arthur had left scars so deeply etched into her that they would never disappear. All Robb could do was hope that Hanna helped to heal them, that he himself could help to heal them, to get her to a point where Arthur was a good memory that she could smile about rather than one that tormented her. He sighed then as he signed the letter, setting the wax above the candle before folding it up. When the wax was dribbled and the seal stamped he stood from his desk and placed the letter on the side table by the door for him to take to the Maester later. Right now he wanted a few minutes with his daughter before anyone descended on him.

She looked up at him with her beautiful grey eyes that just had a hint of blue around the edges, her lips breaking into the smile that melted his heart as he beamed down into her cradle. Her gurgles became more insistent then as she battled with her blankets and furs, kicking at them and pulling her arms free so she could wave up at him. He bent down to pick her up then because he could never resist cradling her against his chest and inhaling that perfect baby scent that was like nothing else in the world. She clutched his doublet in her little fists as she always did and he chuckled slightly before bending to snatch up the fur lined blanket that Lottie had sewn for her on the journey back from Riverrun, remembering how serene and beautiful she had been as she concentrated on it. The direwolf had taken her over a week to stitch and Robb had been so proud of the effort she had put into making it so truly Stark. It was a little gesture, but Lottie was full of those little gestures that told him without words how happy she was to be part of his family. He walked to the window then, rocking Hanna slightly against him, and looked out over Winterfell which was now completely coated in snow. Some of the men, he could see, had tried clearing some tracks across the courtyard but they were filling in quickly and he imagined they wouldn't bother again. The snow fell in thick flurries now but they were always snug and warm in the keep with the water from the hot springs pumped round the walls and the fires always blazing.

Robb felt so utterly content then as he stood in the window, his daughter safely snuggled in her blanket against his chest, her happy gurgles soon quietening as he rocked her gently. When the tight grip she had on his doublet slackened he knew she had likely fallen asleep and he smiled as he peeked down to see her eyes closed, her little fingers twitching every now and again. He imagined she was dreaming and he could only assume they were good dreams. He stayed stood still where he was in the window until the door opened and he turned just in time to see Lottie send him a beaming smile as she brushed a few snowflakes from her golden hair that must have sneaked under her hood on her walk back. He was more than happy to return her smile before she turned away from him to discard her cloak and furs, hanging them on the back of a chair to dry out in front of the fire.

"Is she asleep?" she asked him quietly when she was done.

"She nodded off a few minutes ago," he confirmed; "did you get her clothes?"

"I dropped them off in the nursery," she smiled.

"Is it cold out?" he asked then.

"It's not so bad if you walk briskly," she told him and he snorted slightly in amusement.

"I need to go and send a letter," he said and she nodded, going to her sewing basket and pulling out her latest project.

Robb watched her for a moment as she untangled some threads and went about threading up her needle, a slight smile on his face as he saw her looking completely relaxed. On her bad days she would sometimes be so full of tension he could practically feel it rolling off her. This wasn't a bed day though, he could tell that just by looking at her and by the fact that she was sewing. She couldn't sew when she was tense because her hands shook and she would just get even more frustrated. He watched her for a few moments more before crossing to the cradle and lowering Hanna gently into it. She stirred for a moment and he froze as she let out a shuddering sigh before she firmly flung her arms up around her head, her little fists clenching and unclenching for a moment before they balled into slight fists on either side of her head. She always slept like that, and always looked so utterly adorable. Her features were becoming more pronounced now and Robb could tell she would look like her mother although her colouring was dark. Her nose was the same as Lottie's and her mouth seemed them same. He couldn't see much of himself in her but Lottie assured him that she frowned just the same way.

When he managed to take his eyes from his sleeping baby he moved over to where Lottie was sat. She looked up as he approached, tilting her head towards his as he bent down so he could kiss her goodbye. Not that he would be gone very long, he would be right back once he had taken his letter to Maester Vernon, determined that nothing would stop him spending the afternoon with his girls. The last few weeks had been busy as all the winter stocks had to be sorted into something resembling order and it had seemed that no one could go five minutes without wanting him for something. Things seemed to have calmed somewhat now though as Winterfell seemed to be settling in to the cold weather. He still prayed that it wouldn't last long though, that spring would soon arrive.

"I'll not be long," he told Lottie when he pulled away.

"We'll be right here," she promised him with a smile.

"Then I will be right back," he returned and her smile widened.

"Wrap up warm," she called softly as he made for the door and he turned to smile at her once more before leaving.

* * *

Spending the whole afternoon with Robb was bliss for Lottie. She could not remember the last time they had just been able to sit and talk with one another about nothing of any importance. As they chattered away though she realised she had missed the idle gossip and chatter she shared with her husband. Hanna slept peacefully, giving them several hours just for themselves and Lottie revelled in the time with him. Robb had been such a tower of strength for her since Hanna had been born and not once had she seen him even threaten to crumble. He showered adoration on their daughter and he still doted on her which was such a relief to her after the pressure she had piled on him with her behaviour after Hanna's birth. Some days she still felt the crushing darkness but Robb was always there, leading her through it and she wasn't entirely sure she had the right words to thank him for it. She knew it must worry him when she had her bad days but he never let it phase him, never let it show on his face exactly what she was putting him through with her moods. He never thought for one second that she would go back to neglecting Hanna again and she was glad of it.

The darkness may come for her but she always fought to push it away when her baby needed her. She was determined that nothing would come between them and spoil the bond that she was slowly building up with Hanna. Hanna knew her now, Lottie could finally admit that, she could see the brightness of her eyes when she looked up at her. The wide smile she bestowed on her and the instinctive way she would nuzzle her head against her breasts when she was hungry. Lottie tried to do as much as she could by herself, Catelyn had even been kind enough to take her duties from her for the time being but Lottie knew she would have to take over again soon enough. It didn't feel fair to make Catelyn do them and now she was certain her baby knew her she could perhaps let her spend a little more time with Alma so she could get back to the business of being a proper Lady of Winterfell. She may be a mother again now but she could not let her responsibilities as a Queen and a wife be neglected as a consequence.

She had been neglecting her wifely duties she knew that well enough and she thought on it as she stood to get Hanna from her cradle, the baby making her want for milk known rather insistently. Robb had made no move to bed her since Hanna had been born. Some tiny, irrational part of Lottie thought that perhaps he didn't desire her anymore but she knew that the more likely explanation was that he was waiting for her to make the move. It was just like something Robb would do, just so typical of his nature. He wouldn't want to do anything to make her feel uncomfortable and Lottie couldn't deny that part of her was wary of the consequences; especially so soon after Hanna and the dark feelings that she had experienced. The much larger part of her missed her husband though, missed the feeling of their bare skin pressed against one another as they moved so perfectly as one. She shuddered slightly at the thought as she settled back down in her chair to nurse Hanna. Robb smiled at her as their daughter began to feed and Lottie made up her mind that Hanna could spend tonight in the nursery with Alma. She had other plans for herself and Robb.

"You have a look in your eye," Robb stated then and she couldn't help but smile.

"I'm happy that's all," she told him honestly and he beamed at her.

"I'm so glad," he said meaningfully.

"I know what I've put you through," she said seriously.

"None of it matters, you and I have always had our dark days," he said.

"Thank you," she said simply.

"There is no need to thank me, you're my wife – it's my duty to look after you," he argued.

"I'm not sure most husbands would be so understanding," she said honestly.

"It's a good thing I'm not most husbands then isn't it?" he grinned.

* * *

Catelyn watched as Lottie poured herself another glass of wine. Usually she didn't drink all that much at dinner but she was on her second glass already and they were only halfway through their meal. She frowned slightly, Robb at her side seemed completely unperturbed and Lottie herself didn't seem tense but Catelyn couldn't help but feel that something was off. She wished her son would absorb himself in conversation with Bran who was sat on his other side but so far he was happy enough eating quietly which meant he would notice and overhear any conversation she struck up with his wife. Thankfully as they cleared their plates Rickon shouted out from the other end of the table that he and Arya needed Robb to settle and argument for them and so he got out of his chair with a sigh and made his way towards them. Once he was fully caught up in the conversation Catelyn lay her hand on Lottie's and she turned to look at her expectantly.

"Are you alright?" Catelyn asked her.

"I'm perfectly well," she smiled back at her and Catelyn frowned slightly.

"You just seem a little …" she tailed off, unsure of the right word.

"It's just me being silly," Lottie told her with a smile.

"Silly how?" Catelyn pressed.

"Nothing to do with Hanna … truly, I'm fine with her," Lottie said.

"Then what?" Catelyn asked and Lottie sighed, knowing she wouldn't let it go.

"It's a rather … _delicate, _matter," she said meaningfully.

"I see …" Catelyn said slowly.

"Robb and I haven't …" Lottie paused, glancing to make sure her husband was still occupied before continuing; "been as husband and wife since Hanna was born," she finished quietly.

"I see," Catelyn said again.

"I'm just a little nervous about it," Lottie confessed.

"He is not pushing you is he?" she checked with a slight frown.

"No," Lottie said at once, "no Gods no … it's me I just … I just miss him I suppose, I asked Alma to have Hanna tonight but I can't help the nerves"

"Drinking too much will not help," Catelyn smiled, "perhaps you should slip away and have a moment to yourself beforehand?"

"Yes," Lottie agreed, "that's a wonderful idea … thank you Catelyn"

"You're most welcome," she smiled and Lottie squeezed her shoulder lightly as she rose from her chair.

She made her way behind those still seated then, placing her hand on the small of Robb's back when she came to him leaning between Arya and Rickon as they argued incessantly in hushed tones. He straightened up at her touch and looked at her expectantly as she smiled up at him.

"Are you retiring already?" he asked her.

"I just thought I'd have a moment to myself," she replied and he frowned slightly.

"You are alright?" he questioned.

"I'm just fine, I promise you," she assured him.

"Alright," he nodded slightly, "I'll not be far behind you"

"I'll wait up," she said, reaching up to kiss his cheek and letting her lips linger for a moment longer than was necessary.

She could feel his eyes on her back as she walked from the dining hall and she wondered if he had caught onto her mood or if he was just worrying unnecessarily about her. Even if it was the latter she would soon convince him of just how fine she was. Her stomach fluttered with both nerves and rising desire then as she thought about being with her husband again. Gods she ached for him, she ached for every single part of him, that familiar nagging sensation between her legs reminding her just how long it had been since she had had him entirely. Once in their rooms she kicked away her shoes, hitching up her skirts so she could peel her cotton stockings down her legs and toss them aside as well. She unthread her dress then and discarded it on one of the armchairs before slowly unlacing her shift as she moved towards the mirror.

Lottie took a deep breath before she let it drop and let her eyes take in the sight of her naked body. It had changed with Hanna as it had done with Arthur and she pressed her hands to her stomach, feeling her skin more loose and fleshy than it had been before. Eventually she knew it would tauten again as it had done after Arthur but it would take time. Her breasts were also heavier and her hips had more roundness to them than they had before. It wasn't a drastic change but it was a change nonetheless and she hoped that Robb wouldn't be disappointed that she was no longer slim and firm in all the right places. She pushed those thoughts aside as she pulled on her robe; Robb had been desperate for her even when she had been round and heavy with Hanna inside her. If he had still desired her then then surely he would still desire her now. She tied the robe loosely then and wondered what she could do to pass the time before Robb came up. Before she could think of anything though the door opened and he stepped inside, his face betraying a flicker of relief when she turned and smiled at him that she knew meant that he had been worrying despite her assurances. He loosened his doublet then and made his way to peer into the cradle, turning his head sharply to her when he saw that Hanna was missing.

"She's with Alma tonight," Lottie told him before he could ask, "I thought tonight it could just be you and me"

"Just you and me?" he repeated, slight confusion but more than a hint of lust shining in his eyes.

"Yes," she confirmed, coming to undo the tie of her robe, "just you and me"

Robb shed his doublet and shirt then before she even had time to blink, already bending to unlace his boots and kick them away; his hands at the lacings of his breeches as he came towards her. She bit down gently on her lip, silently steeling herself for his reaction before she shrugged her robe from her shoulders. His fingers fumbled with his laces then as he stared at her, the intensity of his gaze making her want to blush as his eyes roamed her body hungrily. She took a step closer to him then and let her own hands take over at his laces, feeling how hard he was for her already through the leather. When she freed him he shoved them down and kicked them away from him before he grabbed her hips and pulled her tight against his body. She shivered with desire then as he trailed kisses along her shoulder and up her neck, his hardness pressed insistently against her stomach and the knowledge that he wanted her so badly had her soaking for him.

She couldn't help but moan slightly then as he grazed at that perfect spot on her neck that never failed to make her arch her back further against him. His fingertips seemed to clench a little more into the skin of her hips as she pressed herself closer to him.

"Gods I want you," he almost groaned in her ear and her body almost convulsed, her desire and her daring peaking as she took one of his hands and guided it between her own legs so he could feel exactly how much she wanted him. He groaned again in her ear as he felt how ready she was then, feeling himself so hard that he thought he might explode.

"I want you too," she whispered then and he scooped her up at once, her legs wrapping tightly around his waist, his want pressed against hers as he carried her to the bed, resting one of his knees on the edge so he could lower them both down without breaking their close contact. As soon as her back was pressed against the furs he shifted himself further between her legs and slipped into her perfect, waiting warmth, her nails scraping lightly down his back in response as she gasped out in pleasure. His lips found hers then as he began thrusting slowly into her, her own hips rocking up to meet his pace as her legs shifted up higher on his waist so he could go deeper. Robb had to steel himself then, trying his damnedest not to let his body peak yet as he slid his tongue into her mouth where her own moved with his so perfectly, the hum of pleasure that he always loved to coax from her sounding at the back of her throat.

Gods he had missed that sound. He had missed this feeling, the feeling of her consuming him entirely. The feeling of rocking pleasure through her body as she sent it shooting through him. Being with her as one just felt so good and so right and he knew that he would have to have her again and again tonight until both their bodies were completely spent and screaming for sleep. He let a hand drop to her thigh then and ran it up and down the smooth flesh before coaxing it even higher up on his waist. She wrenched her lips from his then and cried out breathlessly and he just knew he had hit that perfect spot without her mumbling at him to do it again. He had every intention of doing it again; he didn't need her encouragement to make her come. He loved doing it. He loved satisfying her completely when they were like this together because he never wanted her to consider him duty. He had always wanted her to bed him because she wanted to, not because she felt she had to. The sound and the feeling of her crashing down around him were more than enough of a reward for Robb.

He let his lips attack her neck then, giving her all of him on his next thrust and feeling her start to reach her end, her lips forming his name that always sounded so good when she uttered it as the peak of her pleasure. Her hands tangled in his hair then as she worked her own hips to meet him, so close to reaching the end now as she moaned out again as his teeth grazed lightly along her neck before he smothered her in hot kisses again. It was one more thrust that hit that perfect spot and she was utterly helpless, moaning out wantonly, her hands tightening in his hair as he managed to rock once more into her before his own body peaked. He collapsed against her then as she tried to regain her breath, her legs shifting lower on his waist as his hand stroked lightly up and down her thigh. When he finally found the strength to lift his head and gaze into her eyes he smiled widely at her and she returned the gesture, her chest rising and falling rapidly against his as he remained inside her and pressed as close to her as he could manage.

"I love you," he told her, never before had those words been truer.

"I love you too," she replied, her hand stroking down his rough cheek; "you're not done with me are you?" she said knowingly and his smiled widened.

"Not even close," he whispered before leaning in to capture her lips again.

* * *

**A/N: **One more to go! The last one is sort of an epilogue but not the way I usually do them years into the future. It will be set three years on from this chapter and should be with you at the weekend (few last minute tweaks to make!)

Hope you enjoyed this one anyway, last one (sob) soon!

:)


	28. XXVIII

**A/N: **It's the last one! I'm actually a little bit devastated but I really hope you all enjoy it and thank you all so much for reading and reviewing and just being generally really awesome and supportive!

**LoyalGuest:** Time for a Jon Snow fic? I can't fully grant your wish but I am in the early stages of writing a fic consisting of five parts, one of which will focus on Jon. You may have noticed but I am much more of a Robb girl ;) nothing against Jon I just haven't yet thought up a whole fic that could focus on him. Maybe one day. :)

Anyway lovelies, I've kept you long enough - hope you enjoy this and one last review would be just awesome ;)

:)

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**XXVIII**

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_Three years later…_

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"Come on sweetheart, before papa wakes up …" Lottie coaxed, shifting Ned higher up on her hip as she stretched her hand out for Hanna to take. Her daughter took it obediently and Lottie led her from the nursery and down the short stretch of hallway to her own chambers where she hoped her husband was still sleeping. She dropped Hanna's hand when they reached the door and turned the handle almost silently, ushering Hanna ahead of her when it was open. Her daughter couldn't contain herself then and she flew at the bed, hauling herself up with a look of sheer determination on her face before she pounced on her father.

"What …?" he mumbled, jerking awake and blinking rather rapidly as Lottie crossed to open the drapes with a smile on her face.

"Habby 'ame day papa!" Hanna exclaimed with her clumsy words and he grinned at her.

"Thank you very much little Princess," he practically cooed at her and Lottie's heart swelled as she crossed to him with Ned, his arms already reaching up for his son.

"Yes, happy name day," she told him with a wide smile.

"Thank you," he said warmly as he beamed back at her.

"Papa got pwesants," Hanna told him then and he looked to her expectantly.

"Have I now?" he asked her teasingly and she nodded proudly.

"They're a little big to be brought up here though," Lottie told him, thinking of the new bow that had been crafted for him and the light armour to replace that which he had not changed since the war despite how battered it had become. He nodded his understanding to her then before his attention was caught by Ned clambering up his chest and tightening his fists in his hair, making Robb wince as he exclaimed out utter nonsense.

"I think he said happy name day," Lottie grinned at him as she came and perched on the edge of the bed.

"I thought so," Robb rolled his eyes as he tried to prise Ned's hands from his hair.

"Ned is nawty," Hanna stated then and Lottie had to stifle a laugh.

"Yes because you never dreamed of pulling papa's hair did you?" Robb asked her wryly and she shook her head – his sarcasm lost on her.

"I'm good," she told him defiantly and he snorted.

"When you want something," he murmured and she smiled innocently at him.

"Do you think you can survive with them while I go and have some breakfast sent for you?" Lottie asked him with a raised brow.

"Breakfast in bed? I'm not infirm you know, how old do you think I am?" he teased her.

"Old enough to know not to complain when your wife is trying to spoil you," she teased right back, leaning forward to kiss him.

"I can think of a way you can spoil me," he said lowly when she pulled away.

"Later husband," she smirked, rising up from the bed.

"I should think so too, it is my name day after all," he called after her as she made her way from the room.

He smiled to himself as he heard her retreating footsteps echoing down the hallway. He had never much been one to celebrate his name day but since having the children Lottie had insisted that they both make more of an effort. She had never been one for fuss either but she had accepted her gifts this year without complaint. Showering one another with gifts just wasn't a natural thing for them but they had no trouble whatsoever with showering their children with gifts when their name days came around. They had had the craftsman carve Hanna a beautiful dolls house modelled on Winterfell for her last name day and Ned had got a shower of toys on his recent first name day – Robb had even had him a tiny helm made out of light metal for him which Ned frequently donned around his big sister. Robb sighed in contentment then as Ned finally stopped wriggling and settled down against his chest as Hanna crawled along his side and sat herself next to him so he could nestle her in the crook of his arm.

"Ned sweepy," she said, turning her eyes on Robb.

"You are all up early," Robb smiled at her and she nodded.

"Awma make me dwess," she told him, fisting her hands in the silk and swishing her skirts.

"And you look beautiful," he said and she grinned.

"Fank you papa," she said and squeezed her slightly more tightly against him.

"You're welcome," he replied.

"Can you say me a storwy," she asked him then, her head tilting up to look at him.

"You want me to _tell _you a story?" he corrected her gently.

"Yes, tewl me pwease," she said and he smiled.

"Alright then," he pondered for a moment, "I don't think you've ever heard the story of the beautiful Lady and the sad King have you?"

"No papa," she shook her head.

"Would you like me to tell you it?" he asked.

"Yes pwease," she grinned.

"Alright," he smiled, "it was many years ago now, just after a great war was won a King was returning home to his castle but even though he had won the war the King was very sad …"

"Why sad?" Hanna interrupted him then and he looked at her wide innocent eyes and smiled slightly sadly.

"He was sad because he lost his beautiful Queen to the Gods," he told her.

"Like grandpapa?" she interrupted again and he nodded.

"Yes, the Gods took her like they took grandpapa and the King was sad because he loved her very much. But on the way back to his castle he rode by some woods and he heard a Lady crying for help and so he went to look for her and he rescued her from some mean men who were being very cruel and he decided to take the Lady back to his castle with him so she would be safe. Now the King was still very sad because his Queen was gone but this Lady was very kind to him and the more time he spent with her the happier he became …"

"He no sad anymore?" Hanna asked him.

"Sometimes he was still very sad but the Lady from the woods made his sadness start to disappear and he slowly started to fall in love with her because she was very beautiful and very kind. One day the King had to go and battle some bad men who wanted to ruin the peace of the land and while he was gone he realised just how much the Lady from the woods meant to him and so on his return he asked her for her hand in marriage and she said yes …"

"And they were habby?" she questioned him.

"They got married and they were very, very happy and after a little time the King's new Queen bore him a beautiful Princess who he loved very, very much …"

"Like me?" she interrupted again and he grinned.

"Yes like you, just like you," he continued, "and then she bore him a handsome Prince who the King loved just as much as his beautiful Princess and the King had never been so happy in all his life because the Lady from the woods had fixed his broken heart by being so kind and wonderful and loving …"

"And pwitty?" she asked.

"Yes and pretty, she was ever so pretty with long golden hair and beautiful eyes that looked just like the stormy sea, and when she smiled at him the King would always feel his heart beat a little more quickly than before," he smiled.

"And they lib habby eber after?" she raised her brows expectantly and his smile widened.

"Yes my little Princess, they lived most happily ever after," he concluded.

"Mama!" Hanna exclaimed then and Robb turned to see her stood in the doorway with a tray of food for him.

"How long have you been there?" he asked her softly as she approached.

"Long enough," she smiled as she set it down at his side, "that tale sounds most familiar"

"It's my favourite," he told her and she pecked his lips in response.

"It's mine too," she smiled even more widely and he returned it happily.

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Lottie smiled to herself as she watched Robb testing out his new bow in the tiltyard. Ned in her lap had his eyes fixed on his father as he notched and drew back the bow. Hanna was in her lessons with her Septa for the next few hours so Lottie had bundled Ned up and decided some fresh air would do them both good. Winter was slowly turning to spring, the snows that had covered Winterfell for the last years had melted away and now when it did snow it would only be a light dusting. It was still bitingly cold though, their breath always showing in front of them when they ventured outside. Ned made a rather insistent noise then and turned his dark auburn head to fix his big, grey eyes on her, a rather irritated expression on his face. She knew well enough that he wanted to go down but the last thing she needed was for him to go charging off into the path of an arrow.

She saw Robb turn to look at her then as Ned grew even noisier and she rolled her eyes at her husband, seeing him grin widely before he handed the bow to Arya who had been eyeing it with a rather hungry expression on her face. He came towards where she was sat with their son then as Ned arched his back and screamed more out of frustration than any upset.

"Eddard Stark!" she scolded him and he relaxed his stance at once but fixed her with a look that clearly told her he wasn't happy.

"Is that any way for a Prince to behave?" Robb asked him as he came to a halt in front of them.

"Papa," Ned said mournfully, reaching his arms up to him.

"You would think I am the worst mother in the world the way he acts sometimes," Lottie shook her head as Robb lifted him up into his arms.

"He loves you really," Robb grinned, "you know you're a most wonderful mother"

"Thank you," she smiled and he returned it until Ned caught his attention by bashing his face.

"Do you have to hit so hard?" he demanded but his son merely giggled at him.

Lottie rolled her eyes again then as she watched them for a moment before letting her eyes wander back towards the archery boards where Arya was testing out Robb's bow. She felt him sit down at her side after a moment but she kept her eyes on Arya as she heard him battling with Ned to get him to behave himself. Sometimes he really was a naughty little boy – Hanna had the right of it. She could feel Robb's eyes on her after a moment and she smiled slightly; he still showered her with so much attention and affection even after so long together. She turned to fix him with a smile for a moment which he returned before she moved her eyes back to Arya.

Robb watched her as she watched Arya, kissing the top of Ned's head as his son finally settled down against his chest and stopped straining towards his aunt who was notching another arrow. Ned was a trying baby at times, Robb thought he may have a touch of the wolf's blood from his great uncle Brandon. He smiled slightly as he continued to watch Lottie, she had struggled with Ned at the beginning but not in the same way as with Hanna. Instead of ignoring her son she had been ferociously overprotective, her eyes never leaving him for the first few weeks of his life. Robb had had to force her to sleep on several occasions as she would insist on sitting by his cradle to make sure his chest continued to rise and fall. The only way he could get her to sleep was if he took over her post at his cradle to make sure his heart was still beating. It had been a stressful time but she had calmed down eventually just as Robb had been about to reach breaking point. He didn't know what had snapped her out of it and he didn't ask her, he was just glad she was back to normal again. As much as he hated seeing what the first few weeks of their children's lives had done to her he couldn't help but long for more of them. Lottie did too, he knew that and he hoped that now she had birthed a healthy boy and a healthy girl that she could relax and not worry herself half mad next time around.

"We should go in for dinner," Lottie said then, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"We should," he agreed with a smile, standing and shifting Ned onto one hip and holding his hand out to Lottie.

"Have you had a good day?" she asked him as they began walking hand in hand back to the keep.

"I've had a wonderful day," he assured her, "and it's not quite over yet"

"No," she smiled, "I do have a few more surprises planned for you"

"I cannot wait," he grinned at her and she squeezed his hand lightly.

The Septa was leading Hanna down for dinner when they entered the entrance hall and Lottie held her free hand out for her daughter as she and Robb thanked the Septa for bringing her down. Hanna came happily to her side and at once began babbling away about her lessons. Robb knew that Lottie probably understood more of what she was saying than he did; Hanna knew plenty of words but when she was excited they all seemed to get jumbled up. Still, she was a happy little girl and that was the main thing.

Catelyn was already seated as they entered the dining hall and she sent a smile to Robb, her heart swelling as it always did when she saw him surrounded by his family. She loved doting on her grandchildren and she was so glad the snows were melting away now as it meant Sansa would soon be able to come down from Karhold. Her eldest daughter had recently had a son and Catelyn could not wait to meet him and see her daughter again. From her letters she could only assume that Sansa was happy at Karhold with Harrion and now with their baby son Rickard. Robb had recently made tentative steps in arranging Arya's match to one of Walder Frey's sons as had been arranged so many years ago. They all knew that Arya was less than happy about the match but Robb was trying to see to it that she could stay at Winterfell with her husband instead of moving to the Twins. Catelyn thought it was likely Walder would agree as the Twins were packed enough without another mouth to feed and the prospect of even more little ones in the future.

Robb sat then with Ned in his lap and Lottie helped Hanna up into her seat between herself and Catelyn and her good-mother beamed at them all.

"Happy name day Robb," she said warmly.

"Thank you mother," he smiled back at her as Lottie sat herself down.

"How did he like his gifts?" she asked her good-daughter.

"Well enough I think," Lottie smiled between the pair of them.

"They were wonderful," Robb elaborated and Catelyn smiled again.

"How were your lessons little one?" she asked Hanna then and the little girl launched into her tirade again causing Robb and Lottie to exchange an amused look.

"She did ask," Robb said quietly.

"Indeed she did," Lottie agreed as the servants began setting out their meal.

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Robb gazed up at Lottie, his breathing ragged and his eyes slightly unfocused as he came down from the heights she had just pushed him to, his hands resting on her thighs as she tossed her long hair back over her shoulder. She smiled down at him then and he squeezed her thighs in response, a smile playing about his own lips. He had certainly enjoyed this name day gift. She lifted her hips then so he slipped out of her but remained straddling his lap, her fingers tracing patterns across his chest.

"I have one more gift for you," she told him then.

"I'm not sure I can survive another," he teased and she smiled widely.

"I've saved the best until last," she coaxed him and he grinned up at her.

"Go on then," he squeezed her thighs again.

"I'm with child again," she told him and his eyes widened as she smiled down on him.

His hands moved up to her hips then, gripping them and flipping her over onto her back as she giggled at the look of wonderment in his eyes, his hand trailing across her stomach which betrayed no sign. Robb brought his lips to her smooth skin then, kissing all across her stomach where yet another child was growing inside her. He could not believe it. How was it he got to be this lucky?

"Truly?" he whispered, laying his head down against her stomach.

"Truly," she smiled, stroking a hand through her hair, "the Maester confirmed it"

"How long have you known?" he breathed.

"A few days … but I wanted to save it for your name day," she told him and he kissed her again, his lips making their way back up her body then until they captured hers, his hand running lightly over her stomach again as their lips worked so perfectly together.

"I can only assume you're happy," she said amusedly when he finally pulled away.

"You assume right," he beamed at her, "it is the most wonderful name day gift I ever had"

"I knew I shouldn't have wasted coin on those other gifts," she said teasingly and he kissed her again.

"I love you Lottie," he murmured against her lips.

"I love you," she returned, pulling his head away slightly so she could look into his eyes.

"I never thought I'd get to be this happy," he confessed to her then.

"Neither did I," she smiled, "and yet here we are"

"Yes," he agreed, pecking at her lips again, "here we are, and I never want to be anywhere else."

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**A/N: **The end, waaaaaaaah. I really hope you guys enjoyed this! It was really fun (and challenging) to write something so different from my usual style and all your positive reviews really kept me going. Thank you so much and I would love it if you kept an eye out for more fics of mine in the future ;)

Thank you, thank you, thank you and goodbye (for now!)

:)


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